Shoppingcity Seiersberg: MediaMarkt Now a “Tech Village”
Austria’s third-largest shopping center, Shoppingcity Seiersberg, is celebrating Thursday with a grand opening. At 8 a.m., MediaMarkt’s “Tech Village,” touted as Europe’s most innovative, will open its doors. The renovations, conducted while the store remained open, have transformed around 7,500 square meters – larger than a football field – into a new technology shopping experience. Opening bargains will undoubtedly draw in a crowd starting at 8 a.m. “It’s a real honor that the company has chosen to invest in us like this,” says Marketing Manager Marco Toth. The technology giant is a significant footfall driver in Seiersberg, and the location is equally desirable for the company. With 7.3 million visitors last year, MediaMarkt achieved a record sales figure of €367 million. This year, they have set their sights on exceeding €400 million in sales.
The “Tech Village” is not the sole major new opening. While recent bankruptcies, such as “Pepco” and Esprit (future uncertain), pose challenges for shopping centers, Seiersberg has welcomed a Nike flagship store, a Mango branch, and is set to open a flagship Pandora jewelry store in July.
Citypark: Renovated Hypermarket Opens
The second major new opening is at Citypark, where the newly renovated Interspar hypermarket will open its doors on Monday. The 4,200 square meter branch, established in 1971 as “Interkauf,” has undergone renovations without impacting business, though the non-food department was temporarily closed. Shoppers can anticipate new technology and a completely redesigned reception area. The major facade renovation, visible for some time, is part of the future opening of Peek & Cloppenburg fashion store in the fall. “We’re investing around €26 million,” explains center manager Wolfgang Forstner. Additionally, two sporting innovations will be added in the fall: Hervis is moving to the basement, and Speedfit will be opening its first fitness studio in Graz.
Murpark: Dem’s Gourmet and Müller Are Coming
In Liebenau, various stores at Murpark will be undergoing renovations and updates in the coming weeks and months. DM, McDonald’s, and the gift and decoration specialist Nanu-Nana are modernizing their store concepts and furnishings. There are also new additions in store. Dem’s Gourmet will be serving Mediterranean delicacies from September. The space vacated by Adler Moden will not be empty for long. “After a significant renovation, Müller will open a 1,700 square meter location there at the beginning of 2025,” reveals center manager Edith Münzer, who has overseen significant innovations at Murpark since its inception. She will retire at the end of August, handing over to Carina Weyringer.
In recent weeks, Murpark has hosted the “Beexhibition,” an interactive exhibition on bees that has been well-received, particularly among schools. As in past years, Murpark, operated by “Spar European Shopping Centers,” does not release mid-year sales figures. “However, overall, we are very satisfied, even with challenges faced by weather-dependent sectors like the textile trade due to heavy rain,” says Münzer. Looking back at 2023, the response is positive. The year saw a 6.6 percent increase in footfall and a 6.8 percent increase in sales.
Shopping Nord: Shopping and Walking in the Forest
Heike Heinisser, center manager at Shopping Nord, is also pleased with the first half of 2024. “We’ve experienced a 12 percent increase in footfall compared to the first half of 2023, and sales from January to May have increased by nine percent compared to the same period last year,” she shares. It’s important to note that the retail sector was significantly impacted by the pandemic. “The growth is surprisingly positive, but it remains to be seen how the shops and brands will fare overall,” says Heinisser, acknowledging recent bankruptcies of major players in the Austrian market.
Currently, however, Shopping Nord is welcoming new tenants: “Onkel Fade” has opened a barbershop, and “HandyMeister” has expanded its location. Further new shops are in the pipeline and are expected to open by the end of the year. Beyond retail, Shopping Nord is emphasizing entertainment and gastronomy. “This is becoming increasingly important. For example, we recently opened our forest nature trail, which has been well-received,” says Heinisser.
Center West: Focus on Fun and Sports
In recent years, Center West has established itself in the areas of sports (“Europe’s largest Intersport and Sports Direct combined cover 15,000 square meters,” says center manager Martin Wittigayer) and family entertainment (including Flip Lab, padel tennis, mini golf, and escape games). The annual increase in footfall of 5 to 10 percent demonstrates the success of this approach. But new developments are also underway in the fashion world. Adler Moden is moving from Murpark to a nearly 3,000 square meter space in Center West, and the Esprit shop, despite the franchisee’s bankruptcy, will continue, possibly under a different brand.
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Shoppingcity Seiersberg: MediaMarkt Now as a “Knighthood”
In Austria’s third largest shopping center, Shoppingcity Seiersberg, tomorrow, Thursday, is marked in red on the calendar: At 8 a.m., the "Tech Village," which MediaMarkt claims to be the most innovative in Europe, will open. The renovations were carried out while the store was still in operation, and a new technology shopping experience world has been created on around 7,500 square meters – which, as they explain for the current occasion, is larger than a football field – and from 8 a.m. onwards, opening bargains will ensure a large rush of visitors. "It is a real accolade for us that the company has decided to invest in us like this," says Marketing Manager Marco Toth. There is no question that the technology giant is one of the absolute footfall drivers in Seiersberg – but the location is also an attractive one for the company: with 7.3 million visitors last year, the company achieved a sales record of 367 million euros last year, and this year it is even aiming for the 400 million mark.
The “Tech Village” is not the only major new opening: While bankruptcies such as the recent one of the “Pepco” chain or that of Esprit (continuation still uncertain) also pose challenges for shopping centers, a Nike flagship store and a branch of Mango opened in Seiersberg this year, and a flagship store of the jewelry brand Pandora will follow in July.
Citypark: Renovated Hypermarket Opens
The second major new opening is in the Citypark, where the newly renovated Interspar hypermarket will open its doors on Monday. The 4,200 square meter branch has been in existence since 1971, when the "Interkauf" was still located on the Lazarettgürtel. Here, too, the renovations were carried out without interrupting business, but the non-food department was temporarily closed. So there is great excitement – shoppers will find completely new technology, and the reception will also be completely redesigned. The major renovation of the facade has been causing a stir for some time: for the Peek & Cloppenburg fashion store, which will open in the autumn. "We are investing around 26 million euros," explains center manager Wolfgang Forstner. And in the autumn there will be two more innovations, both of a sporting nature: Hervis is moving to the basement, and Speedfit is opening its first fitness studio in Graz.
Murpark: Dem’s Gourmet and Müller are Coming
In Liebenau, the tradespeople will be getting their hands dirty in the coming weeks and months. DM, McDonalds and the gift and decoration specialist Nanu-Nana are bringing their store concept and furnishings up to date. There are also new additions to report. At Dem’s Gourmet, Mediterranean delicacies will be on the plates from September. The areas that Adler Moden has recently vacated will not remain empty for long. "After a major renovation, Müller will open a 1700 square meter location there at the beginning of 2025," reveals center manager Edith Münzer, who is herself responsible for major innovations in the building. She has been on board as center manager since the very beginning of the Murpark, and will retire at the end of August and hand over to Carina Weyringer.
As far as the "all-round program" is concerned, which no shopping center can do without, Murpark has scored points in recent weeks with the "Beexhibition". "The interactive exhibition on the subject of bees has been very well received, especially by schools," says Münzer happily. As in previous years, there are no half-year figures for sales and visitors at Murpark, which is operated by "Spar European Shopping Centers". "Basically, however, we are very satisfied, even if the heavy rain makes it difficult for weather-dependent sectors such as the textile trade," says Münzer. Looking back on 2023, it’s thumbs up. The year brought an increase of 6.6 percent in frequency and an increase of 6.8 percent in sales.
Shopping Nord: Shopping and Walking in the Forest
Heike Heinisser, center manager at Shopping Nord, is also looking forward to the first half of 2024 with satisfaction. "In terms of frequency, we have seen an increase of 12 percent compared to the first half of 2023, and sales from January to May have increased by nine percent compared to the same period last year," she reveals. Of course, it must be taken into account that Corona had previously caused significant slumps in retail. "The development is surprisingly good. But it remains exciting for all center operators to see what will happen to the shops and brands in general," says Heinisser, referring to the recent bankruptcies of major players on the Austrian market.
At the moment, however, the Shopping Nord is not regarding farewells, but rather regarding new arrivals: "Onkel Fade" has recently opened a barbershop in the building. "HandyMeister" has expanded its location. Plans for further new shops are in the pipeline and should be ready by the end of the year. In addition to the shops, the Shopping Nord is also focusing on entertainment and gastronomy. "This is becoming increasingly important. For example, we recently opened our forest nature trail, which has been well received," says Heinisser.
Center West: Focus on Fun and Sports
In recent years, the Center West has positioned itself in the areas of sport ("Europe’s largest Intersport and Sports Direct together cover 15,000 square meters," says center manager Martin Wittigayer) and family entertainment (including Flip Lab, padel tennis, mini golf and escape games) – the fact that this is going down well is demonstrated by the annual increase in frequency of 5 to 10 percent. And yet something new is also regarding to happen in the fashion world: Adler Moden is moving from the Murpark to an almost 3000 square meter area in the Center West. The Esprit shop is also to be continued following the franchisee goes bankrupt, albeit possibly with a different brand.
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