Press Release, Düsseldorf, 2 March 2007
Attractive tenant mix
Alexa is focusing on innovative offers for all the family
Sonae Sierra and Foncière Euris, the owners and developers of Alexa, have already let more than 80 percent of the new Berlin shopping and leisure centre. Contracts have been signed with more than 100 companies, one in four of which is from the Berlin area. This commitment on the part of local entrepreneurs underscores the excellent integration capabilities of the Sierra shopping and leisure centres, which take full account of the tastes and traditions of the communities into which they are integrated - unquestionably a major factor in Sonae Sierra's successful business strategy.
The Alexa concept provides for a broad range of specialist retailers. The main tenants include MediaMarkt, H&M, Zara, Esprit, Douglas Holding, E-Reichelt and Intersport (a complete list of tenants is attached). One of the primary focuses of the new centre is on innovative educational and play offerings for children. Alexa is also set to feature the first interactive learning world for children of its kind in Germany.
"We would like to offer all our customers - and this includes the youngest - an exceptional shopping experience at Alexa," explains Josip Kardun, General Manager of Sierra Management Germany GmbH, which is responsible for the rental and administration of the centres in Germany. "Our concept is therefore based on three main pillars: shopping, catering and exciting entertainment offerings for families."
To ensure that children, in particular, have a great time at Alexa, the centre will comprise several fun and learning "experiences" which combine education and entertainment based on play and games. Sonae Sierra and Foncière Euris have concluded rental contracts with two experienced providers which have already created exciting and unusual learning worlds for children in other cities, focusing chiefly on science, research, technology and transportation. A wide range of toys will be on offer in numerous specialist shops, such as the Polish retail outlet Smyk. One of the most popular features is sure to be "Build-A Bear": an opportunity for children to create their own "cuddly bear" using their own ideas and imagination.
Alexa, which is set to be the new focal point of Berlin's famous Alexanderplatz, has a GLA of 54,000 square metres, with 2,000 square metres earmarked for catering facilities and 9,000 sq.m. for leisure and entertainment.
Sonae Sierra (www.sonaesierra.com) is an international specialist in the construction of shopping centres. We seek to add innovative flair and excitement to the worlds of shopping and leisure. The company owns (or coowns) 43 shopping centres in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece and Brazil, with a total rentable floorspace of more than 1.6 million square metres. At present the company is engaged in the development of 14 further projects in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Brazil with a gross floorspace of more than 500,000 square metres.
Foncière Euris specialises in the development of shopping and leisure centres in Europe. The company forms alliances with top-quality developers to invest in major projects that contribute to the revitalising of urban landscapes. Major developments in which it has been involved include the Carré de Soie project on the outskirts of Lyon, the Beaugrenelle shopping centre in Paris and the Manufaktura scheme in Lodz, Poland. Foncière Euris S.A. is a subsidiary of the Euris Group, which also controls the Casino Group, France's second largest retail chain listed on the stock exchange.