Himalaya brand to open its first store outside the Capital in RIVUS Cluj-Napoca

Himalaya, the Romanian brand providing a wide range of premium outdoor and sports equipment, clothing and footwear, will be present in RIVUS Cluj-Napoca.

Developed by IULIUS Group in partnership with Atterbury Europe, the project will include an area dedicated to outdoor adventure afficionados, completing the offer for sports and nature enthusiasts. Besides the retail component, RIVUS will also include venues dedicated to cultural and educational activities, entertainment, premium offices, as well as an ample park set to span on more than 52,000 square meters, with the whole project being designed as a complete lifestyle center.

“RIVUS will be a shopping landmark, as well as a venue that will enrich the Cluj community through the diversity of experiences provided here, by connecting people, ideas, and passions. Thus, the complex brand mix will offer a complete experience, adapted to a modern and active lifestyle, and Himalaya is among the premieres here. A brand that will bring a diverse range of products designed to address the needs of outdoor enthusiasts and add to the brand mix that will help support sports and recreative activities on a large scale,” said Oana Diaconescu, Head of Leasing Manager IULIUS.

Rezolv Energy signs EUR 331 mln finance for its VIFOR wind farm in Romania

Actis-backed Rezolv Energy, through its project subsidiary First Look Solutions S.R.L., has signed incremental project finance facilities of up to EUR 331 million to support construction of the 269MW second phase of its VIFOR wind farm in Buzău County, Romania. Phase 2 will take the project to its full 461MW capacity.

Financing of the second phase is largely supported by our trusted lenders from the first phase, including Erste Group and UniCredit Group, together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Intesa Sanpaolo Group and OTP Bank, joined by Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien.

VIFOR Phase 2 follows the first phase of the project, which is currently under construction. Phase 1 will install 192MW in capacity – 30 turbines of 6.4MW each – and is scheduled to be operational by the spring of 2026. Phase 2, which will be commissioned in Q4 2027, will add 42 turbines, increasing the overall project capacity to 461MW – enough electricity to power more than 700,000 homes.

Once fully operational, VIFOR will become the largest wind farm built in Romania over the last 10 years, and one of the largest onshore wind farms in Europe.

Romanian mortgages have increased by 50% in the last five years

he average Romanian monthly mortgage rate has increased by almost 50% in the last five years, from approximately 1,100 lei to over 1,700 lei in the first part of this year, while the average annualized interest rate has recently fluctuated around 7%, from 4-5% five years ago.

The mortgage financing market has been on an upward trend, with the volume of this type of loans increasing by almost 50% in the last five years, to a balance of 111 billion lei. Access to the credit market has improved amid the increase in wage income, the increase in December 2024 compared to 2023 being 10% in Bucharest and 11% nationally, the NBR claims.

The average value of loans granted stood at 242,000 lei (the equivalent of 48,500 euros) in March 2025, up 27% compared to the average value of a mortgage five years ago.

Romania, One of the Most Affordable Real Estate Markets in Europe

Bucharest Requires Less Than 6 Years of Average Salary for an Apartment.

Prices are rising, but affordability remains surprisingly strong in Bucharest. Compared to other major European capitals, Romania offers a rare balance between income, property prices, and rental yields.
According to the latest report published by The Concept, which analyzes key European capitals, Romania continues to rank among the most accessible residential markets in Europe, both in terms of price per square meter and the financial effort required for homeownership.

In Bucharest, the average price per usable square meter in 2024 was €1,757, placing the Romanian capital well below cities such as Paris (€9,512/sqm), London (€10,499/sqm), or Luxembourg (€11,366/sqm). In contrast, the closest markets to Bucharest are Sofia (€1,745/sqm) and Podgorica (€1,822/sqm), confirming Romania’s status as an emerging market with still-accessible prices and healthy dynamics.

For a standard two-room apartment (52 usable sqm), a Bucharest resident would need approximately 7.2 years of average net salary to fully cover the purchase cost — one of the best values in Europe. By comparison, it takes 16.5 years in London, 15.3 years in Paris, and 16 years in Prague, while at the more accessible end, Athens stands at 6 years, Bern at 5.7 years, and Brussels at just 4.9 years, according to the report.

“In a European landscape where residential markets are often dominated by high prices and modest yields, Romania continues to offer a rare combination of affordability, strong returns, and economic growth. And this holds true for both end-buyers and investors.” — Daniel Tudor, CEO & Co-Founder, The Concept
When it comes to gross rental yields, Bucharest records an average of 6.74%, outperforming all major Western European capitals such as Berlin (3.7%), Vienna (3.6%), or Amsterdam (5.0%). These yields reflect not only competitive property prices but also an active rental market, supported by high demand and a limited supply of energy-efficient new homes.

Another key indicator analyzed in the report is the price-to-GDP per capita ratio, a proxy for the economic sustainability of the market. In Romania, this ratio stands at just 8.63%, compared to 22.3% in France, 21.6% in the UK, and 18.2% in the Czech Republic. Bulgaria (10.73%) and Hungary (11.1%) also exceed Romania in this regard. The lower the percentage, the more balanced the market is considered in relation to the country’s economic output per individual.

All these data points draw a clear picture: Romania remains, in 2025, one of the most balanced and attractive real estate markets in Europe — both for living and for investment.

Hilton hotel to be included in Bucharest’s EnVogue Residence project

The final phase of construction of the EnVogue Residence – Iuliu Maniu real estate project will include a hotel that will be operated by Hilton, under the Hilton Garden Inn brand.

The future hotel will have 125 rooms, a fitness room, a restaurant, facilities for business and social events, along with dedicated parking.

“We are delighted and grateful for the vote of confidence given to EnVogue Residence by such a hotel chain, of great international prestige. We are also sure that our residents in Bd. Iuliu Maniu will appreciate the association of the project with the Hilton Garden Inn brand, given that this represents, in itself, a guarantee of quality”, said Radu Dumitrescu, Sales Manager of EnVogue Residence.

The EnVogue Residence project was designed to withstand earthquakes of up to 8.9 degrees on the Richter scale and has anti-nuclear shelters.

Source: wall-street.ro

Popeyes opens first restaurant in Cluj

Popeyes opens first restaurant in Cluj-Napoca, the second city in Romania where Popeyes is expanding its presence in 2025. The new restaurant is located in the food court area of the Sigma Center shopping center in Cluj-Napoca.

Popeyes launched in Romania three years ago, currently having a total of 14 restaurants, including seven restaurants in Bucharest and one each in Pitești, Craiova, Buzău, Ploiești, Brașov, Constanța and Iași.

The company currently owns 4,800 restaurants worldwide.

M Core builds shopping center in Orăștie

The company Square 7, part of M Core, announces the development of M Park Orăștie, a modern shopping center. Located next to the existing Kaufland, the new project is being developed on a 23,000 sqm plot of land acquired in April 2024. Construction works are already underway, and the opening is scheduled for November 2025. The project has an estimated built-up area of approximately 5,500 sqm.

Confirmed tenants include Agroland, Deichmann, Flanco, Kik, Pepco, Sinsay, Tedi and Xpress, along with other services and facilities.

“We are excited to expand the M Park network to Orăștie, a city with growing potential, where we believe that a modern and accessible shopping center will bring real value. We are developing a sustainable, long-term project,” said Brîndusa Grama, Head of Asset Management at Square 7, part of M Core.

Source: economica.net

Scala Development receives RON 119 million financing from Libra Brank

Libra Internet Bank has granted Scala Development a RON 119 million financing for the Scala Sopor residential project developed in Cluj-Napoca. The collaboration between Libra and Scala Development, which began in 2017, reaches the third project supported by the bank.

The residential complex will include 376 apartments, 460 underground parking spaces and 2,500 square meters of green spaces, as well as commercial spaces with a total area of 4,100 square meters.

Scala Development has two completed residential real estate projects in its portfolio, with 310 apartments, three under construction, a shopping center, an industrial hall and several other real estate projects in various early stages.

Pavăl brothers buy Praktiker Hellas in Greece

Romanian entrepreneurial group Dedeman makes its first major DIY acquisition outside the country and buys Praktiker Hellas in Greece.
Dedeman has reached 2.5 billion euros in turnover in Romania.

Karina and Darius Pavăl, the children of one of the founders of Pavăl Holding, coordinated the takeover of the Praktiker Hellas network in Greece. This is the first time that they are directly involved in an international project of such magnitude and assume an active role in shaping the new regional development strategy.
“Karina identified the opportunity and led the negotiations, and Darius will have a key role in integrating and monitoring the business. I am proud to see them collaborate,” said Dragoş Pavăl, founder of Pavăl Holding.

Praktiker Hellas is a leader in the home and garden (DIY) products market in Greece, operating a network of 17 physical stores, an online store and a portfolio of over 50,000 products. The company has 1,200 employees nationwide.

Source: zf.ro

Crosspoint Real Estate strengthens Office Agency with over 6,000 Sqm leased in H1 2025

Crosspoint Real Estate, the International Associate of Savills in Romania, brokered office lease transactions totaling over 6,000 square meters in the first half of 2025. The deals were concluded with companies operating in the technology, military equipment manufacturing, construction and agricultural financing sectors. These contracts have brought the total value of the office leasing portfolio brokered by Crosspoint to over EUR 45 million.

“Our results for the first half of the year confirm Crosspoint’s strategy to strengthen its office division, and the leasing transactions we completed in the first six months of 2025 align with market trends in terms of the sectors generating the highest demand”, stated Valentin Neagu, Managing Director at Crosspoint Real Estate, a company celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025.

Of the total area leased by Crosspoint Real Estate this year, two-thirds consist of office space in Bucharest leased by companies in tech, military equipment production, and agricultural finance – new entrants to the local market. This signals that Romania continues to be seen as a stable and attractive business environment. The remaining third refers to a transaction of over 2,000 sqm in Cluj-Napoca, where a technology company renewed its existing lease.

“In the first half of the year, we witnessed a rebound in interest from IT companies for office space. Whereas previously they were more conservative when it came to leasing larger spaces, we now see a clear trend toward expansion and development. This shift is also reflected in the increased physical presence at the office, another positive indicator that the market is regaining momentum and that confidence in economic prospects is strengthening”, said Mădălina Marinescu, Head of Office Agency at Crosspoint Real Estate.

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