{"id":5994,"date":"2026-01-23T21:32:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T18:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utgcompany.com\/?p=5994"},"modified":"2026-01-23T21:32:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T18:32:52","slug":"ievheniia-loktionova-utg-rajonni-tts-stanut-najzatrebuvanishym-formatom-u-2026-rotsi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utgcompany.com\/en\/ievheniia-loktionova-utg-rajonni-tts-stanut-najzatrebuvanishym-formatom-u-2026-rotsi\/","title":{"rendered":"Evgenia Loktionova, UTG: district SCs will become the most popular format in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year, a record number of shopping and entertainment centers opened in Ukraine for the entire period of the full-scale invasion. What are the new requirements for the construction of shopping centers, which formats are the most economically feasible, and how developers choose \u201canchors\u201d. The Retailers editorial team talked to the director of UTG company Evgenia Loktionova about this and more.<\/strong><\/p>\n

SEC construction trends<\/h2>\n

\u2013 How are locations chosen for the construction of SCs? What criteria are developers guided by: transportation, traffic, population density, competition?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For developers of retail commercial real estate, the main criterion is the profitability of the facility. In SECs, it is formed due to high turnover of tenants, and their level is determined by traffic.<\/p>\n

Mostly, high attendance is characteristic of SECs in areas with a high density of residential population (Dream Town, Retroville, River Mall, Rayon SECs), in places of concentration of the \u201cdaytime\u201d population (TsUM, Gulliver SEC), at the intersection of important transport interchanges (Prospekt SEC), formed shopping clusters (Lavina Mall, Respublika Park SECs).<\/p>\n

\u2013 What is the situation with parking spaces in SECs today?<\/p>\n

The optimal size of the parking lot depends on the structure of visitors. If the main traffic is formed by pedestrians and users of public transport (as in the case of TSUM), a sufficient coefficient is 1\u20131.5 parking spaces per 100 sq.\u00a0m of retail space.<\/p>\n

For facilities outside the city or in hard-to-reach locations where most visitors arrive by car (like Lavina Mall), a ratio of about 4 parking spaces per 100 sq.\u00a0m of GLA is used. The format of the facility also plays an important role: a \u201cweekend SEC\u201d requires more parking than a \u201ceveryday SEC\u201d.<\/p>\n

Security and energy efficiency of the SEC<\/h2>\n

\u2013 How have the requirements for new projects changed, in particular regarding the availability of shelter, autonomy during power outages, security systems, and infrastructure?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The war significantly changed the requirements for the design of new shopping centers. Security, autonomy and accessibility became part of the basic technical task for the developer, which affected both construction technologies and cost.<\/p>\n

Today, underground parking lots and basement floors are turning into dual-purpose premises that can serve as collective shelters, in particular, based on underground parking lots, basement shops or pubs. Autonomous workplaces and inviolability points are also emerging, and architecture and engineering are adapting structures to the needs of low-mobility population groups.<\/p>\n

Although the increased demand for security is most noticeable in the eastern, southern and central regions, it is now a requirement in any part of the country. For tenants, these issues have become fundamental, and some national and international chains use basement or basement locations as a way to provide additional protection for staff and visitors. Before the war, such locations were practically not considered.<\/p>\n

\u2013 How is the issue of energy efficiency and autonomy of SCs being addressed? What technologies and alternative energy sources do they use?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Developers, management companies, and retail operators are trying to increase the energy independence of facilities and use available autonomy tools. Diesel generators are being installed in large shopping centers as a backup source of electricity. There is also growing interest in solar panels and other alternative generation systems that can cover part of the consumption during peak hours.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are also being actively considered – they allow smoothing out load fluctuations, reducing costs, and increasing the resilience of the facility during outages. Some SECs are switching to energy-efficient lighting and ventilation systems, heat pumps, heat recovery, and other equipment that reduces overall consumption.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The behavior of tenants also plays an important role: in the grocery, fashion, and HoReCa segments, they install their own inverter systems, batteries, or mini-generation to maintain uninterrupted operation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Principles of rotation of SC residents<\/h2>\n

\u2013 By what principle are \u201canchors\u201d selected in shopping centers today? Has the structure of \u201canchor\u201d tenants changed? Which categories become \u201canchors\u201d and why?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The structure of the SEC\u2019s content, and accordingly the number and type of \u201canchors\u201d depend on the format of the facility. If we are talking about a district format, where they focus on everyday purchases, the main \u201canchor\u201d is a food supermarket.<\/p>\n

In specialized shopping centers, the \u201canchors\u201d are operators of the dominant product category \u2013 children\u2019s goods or entertainment, furniture and household goods, interior items, sporting goods, etc.<\/p>\n

In regional formats with long-term leisure activities, the \u201canchors\u201d are entertainment operators, catering establishments or food halls.<\/p>\n

-\u2013 How has the rotation of tenants in SECs changed today and what formats are they testing?<\/p>\n

The trend of 2025 for the growth of loyalty of the population and foreign guests to Ukrainian fashion brands deserves special attention. The latter have begun rapid development and have begun to move from online to physical retail. Among the most striking examples are rikky hype, Katy Soho, Solmar, Cher 17, PetHouse, Gorgany and many others.<\/p>\n

Economic efficiency of shopping and entertainment centers<\/h2>\n

\u2013 What are the current payback periods for shopping centers and how have they changed compared to the pre-war period? How realistic is it to pay off a project during a war?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The cost of projects has increased due to increased safety requirements. The availability of many Ukrainian construction materials has decreased, and their price has increased. Imports have also become more expensive. All this increases the cost part.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, operators\u2019 revenues have become less predictable, which leads to diversification of risks, linking rental payments to deductions from turnover, and reducing the income part.<\/p>\n

The cost of operating payments (backup power supply, generators, downtime during air alarms, etc.) is also increasing. Therefore, the payback periods of shopping centers have increased compared to the pre-war period.<\/p>\n

\u2013 How have rental rates in shopping centers changed?<\/p>\n

After sharp changes in consumer priorities in 2022\u20132023, when the main demand fell on life support goods and equipment for autonomy, the market is returning to the fashion and footwear categories. SEC attendance is recovering, which affects turnover in national and dollar equivalents.<\/p>\n

Rental rates have stabilized and have been showing gradual growth for the second year in a row. As of early 2026, the average rental rate for SEC stores with an area of \u200b\u200b50\u2013200 sq.\u00a0m is $22.4.<\/p>\n

Prospects for further development of the field<\/h2>\n

\u2013 What SC formats are most in demand today?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The most popular format today is the neighborhood format with everyday goods and regular visits, located in locations with high population density.<\/p>\n

A neighborhood center is a compact shopping center with an area of \u200b\u200b3\u201314 thousand sq.\u00a0m in a residential area, focused on meeting the daily needs of residents. As a rule, the anchor tenant is a supermarket, and there are also pharmacies, clothing and footwear stores, salons, order pick-up points, cafes and services for convenient after-work visits.<\/p>\n

A new format for Ukraine is a retail park. Its structure involves individual stores gathered around a large parking lot with an emphasis on the convenience of car traffic. The format comes from Europe, where such facilities are actively developing, increasing liquidity and profit.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Who is currently increasing the area, and who, on the contrary, is reducing it?<\/p>\n

Food supermarkets and Ukrainian brands are expanding most actively. The expansion of Polish and Turkish chains has slowed down significantly. At the same time, some operators of entertainment, sports clubs and HoReCa are reducing areas or reviewing formats.<\/p>\n

\u2013 What are the most anticipated openings of shopping centers in Kyiv this year?<\/p>\n

The market is preparing for the opening of several new shopping centers and retail parks in Ukraine. In Kyiv, the most anticipated project is White Lines on Vasylkivska Street.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Finally, what are the main trends in the development of the SEC market in 2026?<\/p>\n

Several trends have formed in the market, and they will determine the competitiveness of operators in 2026. Those retailers and developers who can adapt to these changes will gain better positions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • continued relocation of operators from the east to the central regions of Ukraine;<\/li>\n
  • portfolio optimization and concentration on profitable locations;<\/li>\n
  • increased demand from tenants in Kyiv, Lviv and Odessa;<\/li>\n
  • moderate growth in rental rates (10-15%);<\/li>\n
  • reduction in average vacancy in Kyiv SCs;<\/li>\n
  • design and opening of neighborhood SCs;<\/li>\n
  • increased energy autonomy of shopping centers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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