Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Opal Centers has acquired Galeria Pestka in Poznań from Henley Investment Management, adding a sizeable income-producing shopping centre to its Polish portfolio at a time when retail property is attracting a growing share of investment activity.
The transaction covers approximately 41,700 sqm of leasable space in northern Poznań. The purchase price has not been disclosed. Avison Young acted as exclusive adviser to Henley, while Greenberg Traurig provided legal advice to the seller and SSW represented the buyer.
Galeria Pestka was almost fully occupied at the time of the transaction. Its principal tenants include Carrefour, MediaMarkt and Bricomarché, providing the centre with grocery, electronics and home-improvement anchors. The property also accommodates discount retailers, leisure facilities and a recently refurbished restaurant area.
The centre occupies a prominent location at the junction of Mieszka I Street and Solidarności Avenue and benefits from direct access to Poznań’s fast tram network. Together with Poznań Plaza and Makro Cash & Carry, it forms part of an established retail concentration serving northern districts of the city as well as customers travelling from surrounding municipalities.
Henley entered the investment in 2021, when European shopping centres were still dealing with the disruption caused by the pandemic and investor appetite for the sector was considerably weaker. During its ownership period, the centre’s leasing profile and customer offer were adjusted as retail conditions recovered.
Footfall has subsequently increased and moved above pre-pandemic levels, according to information released around the transaction. Henley also points to the disappearance of several competing retail properties in Poznań, including Galeria Malta, Górczyńskie Centrum Handlowe and Galeria Dębiec, as one factor supporting Pestka’s recent performance.
For Opal Centers, the acquisition provides an established property with high occupancy rather than a development or substantial repositioning project. The combination of daily-needs retail, larger destination stores, restaurants and leisure facilities gives the centre several sources of customer traffic rather than relying on traditional fashion retail alone.
The deal also comes during a stronger period for Polish retail investment. The sector accounted for around 34% of the country’s commercial property investment volume during the first half of 2026, making it the largest segment of the market over the period.
That recovery nevertheless remains selective. A significant proportion of H1 retail volume came from a relatively small number of major transactions, meaning the headline investment figures do not necessarily indicate a broad return of capital to every type of shopping centre.
Galeria Pestka represents a different part of that market. Rather than a large portfolio or development transaction, the acquisition concerns an operating regional asset where location, occupancy, established anchors and opportunities for continued asset management provide the investment case.
This distinction is becoming increasingly important as investors reconsider shopping centres following several years in which retail parks, supermarkets and convenience-led properties attracted much of the available capital. Traditional shopping centres are returning to investment strategies, but buyers remain selective about catchment areas, tenant performance, operating costs and the ability of properties to maintain customer traffic.
Changes within Poznań’s retail landscape may also have strengthened the position of surviving established centres. The closure or redevelopment of competing properties can redistribute expenditure and customer traffic towards remaining schemes, particularly those with strong transport connections and a broad everyday retail offer.
Galeria Pestka’s accessibility is therefore an important part of the investment proposition. Its position close to major roads provides access for customers travelling by car, while the adjacent tram and bus connections integrate the property with Poznań’s public transport system.
For Henley, the transaction concludes an investment made during a much less favourable period for European shopping-centre ownership. For Opal Centers, it expands its exposure to the Polish market through an existing property with established tenants and trading history.
The transaction provides another indication that Poland’s retail investment market is broadening again. Capital has not returned indiscriminately to conventional shopping centres, but properties capable of demonstrating strong occupancy, resilient customer traffic and defensible locations are increasingly returning to investors’ acquisition strategies.
Galeria Pestka fits that pattern, with the change of ownership reflecting a market in which established shopping centres are once again attracting buyers when their operating performance and location provide a sufficiently clear investment case.
