Despite the full-scale war and the difficult economic situation, the development of shopping and entertainment centers in the regions of Ukraine continues — and this opens up opportunities for new brands to appear on the market. This is reported by Delo.ua with reference to information from the director of the UTG company Evgenia Loktionova.

Vacancy on the market: the contrast between Kyiv and the regions

Saturation of retail spaces continues to grow in the capital, which leads to an increase in vacancy. As of 2025, the indicators in Kyiv were distributed as follows:

14.9% — regional shopping centers,

13.9% — district,

10.1% — specialized,

6.6% are district, i.e. closest to residential buildings. The main vacancy is concentrated in four large objects: Blockbuster Mall, Marmalade, Promenada Center and Atmosphere.

“At the same time, there is a tendency in the market to gradually reduce vacancy thanks to the emergence of new Ukrainian brands, the development of local networks and the return of some international formats. The optimization of the business models of retailers plays a significant role – they move to ready-made premises, work with lower costs and focus on profitable locations,” says the director of the UTG company Evgenia Loktionova.

The regions are showing growth in demand — new SECs are being launched with zero vacancies

In contrast to the capital, increased activity of retailers is recorded in some regions. This is especially noticeable in cities that remain far from the war zone.

“This year, the UTG company opened two large-scale facilities – Pokrovsky SEC (Izmail) and Trade Mall (Uzhhorod). Both centers started with 0% vacancy, which is a unique indicator for wartime. In addition, these projects made it possible to introduce new brands to the Ukrainian market, despite the high risks and the pause of most foreign companies regarding investments,” says the director of the UTG company Evgenia Loktionova.

For example, the GrushesvSky SEC in Uzhgorod started working only in August 2025. In just a few months of operation, the object shows almost full commercial occupancy: 98% of the space is leased, and daily attendance reaches 2,000-2,500 people.

“Thanks to a thoughtful concept and a balanced set of tenants, the facility quickly became a key point of attraction in a densely populated area of ​​the city and one of the most successful regional launches of the year,” says Volodymyr Chekalov, director of the Urban-X company, which is the developer of the concept and the exclusive broker of the shopping center.

Key tenants include:

“Ambar” is a local grocery chain;

Drogerie “Schodnya” is one of the largest stores of the drogerie format in Uzhhorod;

Sinsay is an international fashion brand of the LPP group;

Famo and Andi are Ukrainian fashion networks;

Filtr Select is a local cosmetic retail chain;

Mafin is a popular regional coffee shop that has already announced its expansion.

Additional features will open in the coming months:

fitness center,

food market,

beauty salon,

barbershop,

sports nutrition store.

“These categories form a district lifestyle set, which allows residents to meet basic daily needs within walking distance,” says Volodymyr Chekalov.

Why regional malls attract new players

Experts explain that the tenant market dominates the market in the current situation:

retailers cut repair costs,

reduce the number of stores,

optimize marketing budgets,

concentrate only on profitable locations.

Against this background, regional SECs have several advantages at once:

lower rental cost,

stable flows of local visitors,

lack of oversaturation of the market, as in Kyiv,

flexible terms of cooperation on the part of developers. An important factor was the professional work of brokerage companies that help developers attract tenants by providing favorable financial conditions: a fixed rental rate, % of turnover, compensation for marketing or repair work.

Despite the war, the retail market continues to develop

While the market as a whole has faced a number of challenges — from logistical difficulties to the closure of entertainment venues during air raids — regional development has shown resilience.

The opening of new SECs not only stabilizes the local market, but also creates conditions for the emergence of new brands, which today enter Ukraine mainly through the regions, and not through the capital.

According to experts, this trend will become one of the key drivers of recovery and modernization of Ukrainian retail after the war. According to experts, multidirectional trends are observed in the regions: in some regions, development is intensifying, and retailers are showing growth, while in regions close to the war zone, the situation remains difficult. However, it is precisely where new facilities are being built that the market receives a new impetus for development.

Analysts note that in the conditions of the tenant market, when most retailers optimize costs, reduce networks and postpone investments, the professional approach of management companies becomes a decisive factor. It is the competence of brokers that allows developers to negotiate favorable conditions, ensure occupancy of spaces and attract new partners.

In general, the war changed the focus of developers: they pay more and more attention to regions that demonstrate stable demand and relatively safe conditions. This makes it possible not only to support the development of local networks, but also creates a springboard for the entry of new brands, which, despite the pause in the exit of foreign players, still find opportunities to be present on the Ukrainian market.