North American investors were the strongest net buyers of European retail property in the first half of 2013, investing a total of 鈧�1.6 bn, according to the latest research by CBRE.
North American investors were the strongest net buyers of European retail property in the first half of 2013, investing a total of 鈧�1.6 bn, according to the latest research by CBRE.
Some 鈧�15 bn was transacted in retail real estate in H1 2013, an increase of 17% on the same period in 2012.
North American investors focused their acquisitions on Russia and the UK, although they also bought assets in other major Western European markets such as Germany and France.
'North American investors stayed firmly focused on the shopping centre segment, which matches their preference for large deal size and their familiarity with the shopping centre sector,' commented Iryna Pylypchuk, associate director, EMEA Research at CBRE.
By value, shopping centres accounted for 75% of North Americans' retail acquisitions in H1 2013. This is very much in contrast to Asian and Middle Eastern capital, which, while acting across a wide range of geographies, has shown a clear preference for high street retail.
In terms of the overall European retail investment market, the UK and Germany were by far the two largest markets, followed by CEE, which driven by demand for Russian retail in particular, pushed the Nordic region into fourth place and France into fifth. Outside these markets, there was relatively little activity, especially in Southern Europe and the Netherlands.
