Broad-based leasing activity in 2025
Expansion activities are gaining momentum, and consolidation processes are creating additional demand impulse
The driving factors in the brick-and-mortar retail market once again created a mixed sentiment throughout 2025. On the one hand, the 4% decline in fashion sales in offline retail reflects the subdued consumer mood and increased tendency to save money regarding the still uncertain geopolitical and economic environment (source: Textilwirtschaft). On the other hand, footfall data analysed by BNP Paribas Real Estate and collected from the platform Hystreet.com highlights that this development cannot be attributed to a significantly lower level of footfall in city centers.
In 2025, the number of people counted in prime locations remained stable, with a slightly positive trend observed toward the end of the year (November and December: +1.5%; December alone: +5%). Meanwhile, in the tension between good footfall and the often unsatisfactory conversion of potential in stores and at the checkout, a very dynamic market situation emerged in letting activities in inner-city locations, achieving the second-highest take-up volume since 2019.
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