Marius Barbu, Group Asset Director, NEPI Rockcastle, will be part of the speakers formula this year at CEDER Real Estate Conference & Exhibition, to take part on 13th of May, at Radisson Blu Hotel, in Bucharest.

Marius Barbu has a strong background in the retail industry, with over 20 years of professional experience. Since June 2022, he took over the role of Group Asset Director and the lead of the entire assets’ portfolio and team of Asset Managers. He is responsible for the development of the investment strategies, assuring a great mix of tenants for the Group’s retail assets. Moreover, he manages the strategic priorities in operations, marketing, and business transformation at group level.

NEPI Rockcastle is Europe’s third-largest listed retail real estate company by investment portfolio value and the largest owner, operator and developer of shopping centres in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The company’s €8bn portfolio is located across eight CEE countries and includes 60 properties.

CEDER Conference & Exhibition will take place on 13th of May, at Radisson Blu Hotel, in Bucharest. With key property professionals gathered in a single venue, CEDER is a very powerful networking and marketing opportunity. For tickets reservations, please check our website: https://lnkd.in/dTRWhMB7

This year Romania will be honorary country to host the 10th edition of the prestigious Best of the Best Hall of Fame Awards (HOF Awards) which is the climax of the CIJ Awards series, putting the winning projects and companies from around Central & Eastern Europe against each other to determine who the Best of the Best really are. The HOF Awards will take place in the afternoon during CEDER Conference and Exhibition.

CEDER Real Estate Conference & Exhibition 2025 confirmed Partners are: WDP, CPI Property Group, AFI Europe, Revetas, Speedwell, Hagag Development Europe, Paval Holding, NEPI Rockcastle, Filip & Company, EVO Properties, Anchor Grup, NNDKP, VASTINT, RRG Real Estate Group, Popovici, Nitu, Stoica & Asociatii, Crosspoint Real Estate, Lion’s Head, Coral Construct, COS, Carbon Tool, Theta Furniture & More, The Concept Group, RENOMIA Gallagher, Optim Project Management, WEMAT, Tiriac Imobiliare, Safety Approach, ALUKÖNIGSTAHL, Imobiliare.ro, Notarial Office EQUITY, Miss Green.

The HalfPrice off-price retail chain will open its first location in the east of Romania in Iulius Mall Suceava. The store will span more than 2,000 sqm and is set to open in the first half of this year, upon completion of the expansion works for the mall owned by companies IULIUS and Atterbury Europe.

“The HalfPrice store opening in Iulius Mall Suceava proves our commitment to consolidating our presence in the representative cities of Romania. Shopping at HalfPrice means discovering your favorite brands every day at bargain prices. Shopping aficionados will find items from brands of worldwide notoriety, products in the luxury segment, as well as products from niche brands, at prices to suit all budgets,” says Valentin Dobrescu, Expansion Manager CCC Group.

The Iulius Mall expansion will bring brands and entertainment concepts with unique presence in the region. The 60,000 sqm leasable area will also include drive-thru locations, a gym, useful services, coffee shops, and ice cream parlors. The project will also be completed by more than 1,000 new parking places (creating a total capacity upwards of 2,400 parking places), 25 double charging stations for electric vehicles and green spaces for relaxation and outdoor events.

One United Properties and Tomcat Hospitality, a company with experience in the HoReCa field in Romania, will inaugurate the largest food hall in Eastern Europe, Marketta Food Hall, within One Gallery. The inauguration is estimated to take place in the third quarter of this year.

The developer One United Properties is currently carrying out restoration works for the former Ford Hall in Bucharest, a historic building that will be modernized and brought back into the public circuit as a sustainable mixed-use space, called One Gallery.

With an area of 6,000 sqm of indoor and outdoor spaces, Marketta Food Hall will include restaurants, terraces with over 2,000 seats, co-working spaces, a speakeasy-type members bar, 500 parking spaces and much more.

“Through Marketta Food Hall, we expect to redefine the dining experience of Romanians, but also the standards of urban consumption, being adapted to a wide range of moments, from breakfast, business meetings, after-work drinks or dinner with the family, in a very special environment,” said Cătălin Gheorghe, CEO and founder of Tomcat Hospitality.

After the restoration, the gallery will include, in addition to the unique food hall concept proposed by Tomcat Hospitality, certified office spaces, a museum area, as well as a multifunctional hall for theater performances, cultural events, concerts, conferences. The gross development value for One Gallery is currently estimated at EUR 100 million, the largest private investment in Romania in the restoration of a historical building.

Mömax, a furniture retailer that is part of the Austrian XXXLutz chain, will open a store of about 5,000 sqm within the Vitantis Shopping Center, a shopping center owned by entrepreneur Omer Susli, who plans to expand it by another 10,000 sqm.

“The Mömax store will open in a maximum of four months. This is their first store in Bucharest and so they want to open the store as quickly as possible,” said Omer Susli.

Among the largest tenants in the shopping center are La Cocoş (14,000 sqm), Brico Dépôt (10,000 sqm), plus other retailer such as Sinsay, Pepso, Diego, Sportisimo, etc.

Omer Susli acquired the Vitantis Shopping Center shopping complex in Bucharest from the investment fund Revetas Capital Advisors.