● Gemini Park’s development strategy is based on a thoughtful leasing approach, which includes introducing strong and attractive brands, tailoring the tenant mix to local needs, and maintaining a flexible, long-term approach to commercialization.

● The leasing department of Gemini Holding, the owner of the Gemini Park centers in Bielsko-Biała, Tychy, and Tarnów, takes a comprehensive approach—analyzing both customer expectations and local market conditions, which translates into high operational efficiency.

● In 2024, the Bielsko-Biała and Tarnów centers achieved nearly 100% occupancy, while Tychy reached 94%.

● Gemini Park is continually expanding its offer—new lease agreements are signed regularly, existing contracts are renewed, and the centers often serve as launch sites for well-known brands.

● The opening of the IKEA store at Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała is a strategic step—reinforcing the center’s family-oriented and regional profile and confirming its status as a key destination for shopping and leisure in southern Poland.

IKEA is soon to open in Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała. What does this project mean for IKEA, for your center, and how does it align with its family-focused and regional identity?

Joanna Zemczak: The opening of the IKEA store at Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała is not only a significant commercial milestone, but also a well-considered step toward further strengthening the center’s position as a modern, family-friendly, regional shopping destination. It will be IKEA’s 12th store in Poland, and its presence in our center is a testament to the potential of the local market and the strength of Gemini Park.

– It also continues our long-standing and fruitful collaboration with the Swedish brand, which—like us—values flexibility, innovation, and responsiveness to real customer needs. IKEA is perfectly aligned with the evolving expectations of today’s consumers. Its new store concept, convenient product offering, inspiring showroom arrangements, and comprehensive planning services are all features highly valued by customers—and ones that will enrich the tenant mix at Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała.

Are your customers looking forward to the IKEA store?

We regularly monitor the market—we know who our customers are, why they visit our center, and what kind of offer they expect. According to our research, 94% of customers are satisfied with Gemini Park’s offer, and 92% appreciate the unique tenant mix that sets us apart from local competitors. Importantly, we are perceived as a convenient, family-friendly place that provides a comfortable shopping experience—something that directly impacts our performance. In the first five months of this year alone, we recorded a year-on-year footfall increase of nearly 6%. In this context, IKEA’s presence is a natural extension of our profile—as a brand that is accessible, family-focused, and locally rooted.

Our leasing strategy focuses on brands that resonate emotionally and engage the local community. A great example was our partnership with Sports Direct, which was met with strong interest and a very positive reception. Our collaboration with IKEA follows the same philosophy. Through such partnerships, we create a holistic shopping experience by integrating leasing and marketing strategies to enhance the center’s appeal—not only as a retail hub in southern Silesia but as a place that addresses local needs in a comprehensive, strategic, and modern way.

What does an ideal tenant mix mean to you? What elements should it include to make a center attractive?

A complete tenant mix is much more than just a well-allocated retail space. It’s a carefully designed ecosystem that responds to the diverse needs of today’s consumers and creates a comprehensive shopping experience.

What does that look like in practice?

Today’s consumer expects not only a wide range of products, but also convenience, lifestyle variety, complementary services, inspiration—and often leisure opportunities—all in one accessible place. It’s essential to combine key pillars of the offer: strong fashion and lifestyle brands that generate significant footfall, daily convenience stores that build customer loyalty, food and beverage options, entertainment, essential services, and local brands that bring unique value. A key supplement to this structure is flexible short-term leasing, which allows for seasonal concepts, pop-ups, or pilot formats. This adds dynamism to the center’s offering.

I assume this is not an easy process…

Balancing all of these elements is both a priority and a challenge. The final shape of the tenant mix always reflects local specifics—we analyze demographics, competition, shopping behaviors, lifestyle patterns, and the market’s potential to develop specific categories. This approach enables us to create a consistent, strategic offer—making the shopping center not only a retail space, but a multidimensional destination aligned with people’s daily lives and real needs.

How do you develop commercialization strategies?

Each of our centers operates in a different competitive, social, and demographic environment, so the local context is crucial—it guides tenant selection and the character of the offer. In-depth market analysis plays a key role here—both macroeconomic data and real-time consumer microtrends.

We place strong emphasis on sociological research and qualitative analysis of customer behavior. We conduct these studies regularly to better understand who our customers are, how they are evolving, and what they truly expect from a modern shopping center. We gather and analyze data on lifestyle, purchasing motivations, leisure habits, and offer perception—both in terms of brand selection and space usability. This knowledge allows us not only to respond to needs but also to anticipate trends and adapt the offer accordingly.

In practice, this means regularly optimizing the tenant mix, taking into account growing demand for the convenience segment, the development of premium brands, and the need to strengthen family, entertainment, and food & beverage zones.

We focus on the long-term value a brand brings to the center’s ecosystem—its drawing power, customer loyalty potential, and alignment with the center’s image. As a result, we achieve strong commercial performance.

Can you share specific leasing data?

In 2024, we achieved nearly 100% occupancy at Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała and Gemini Park Tarnów, and 94% at Gemini Park Tychy. We signed 85 lease agreements covering nearly 27,000 sqm. Among them, 20 are new brands—many prestigious and highly anticipated by customers—often debuting in the city or even the region. Since the beginning of this year, we’ve signed 40 lease contracts totaling more than 15,350 sqm.

How do you collaborate with tenants?

We treat tenant relationships as long-term partnerships—not just on a business level, but also operationally and strategically. We want our tenants to grow with us, which is why we emphasize open communication, flexibility, and jointly developing solutions that create real value for both parties.

From the commercialization phase, we build relationships based on trust and transparency. We listen carefully to tenants’ needs and tailor collaboration terms to suit both their business model and the expectations of our customers. In day-to-day operations, we place great importance on ongoing dialogue—both logistical and strategic.

Marketing support is a key element of this collaboration. We actively promote our tenants—during store openings, seasonal campaigns, and brand-building initiatives. We offer participation in 360° campaigns, including digital, outdoor, events, and social media—all of which enhance their presence and visibility among customers.

We understand that the stability of a shopping center is the result of synergy—that’s why we want our partners to feel not only secure, but also confident in their development potential.

How do you respond to market changes—such as shifting customer preferences or the presence of five generations in the center?

We view market change as a constant in our business—not just a challenge, but also a significant opportunity. Our strength lies in openness to innovation and readiness to implement new retail formats that better meet the expectations of today’s consumers. A perfect example is our collaboration with IKEA and the launch of its new, first-of-its-kind store concept at Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała. It proves we are not only ready to respond to trends but also to shape them—together with global, customer-centric partners.

We are aware of the unprecedented situation in the retail market—where five generations, from children and teens to seniors, now visit shopping centers. Each generation has different needs and expectations regarding the space. That’s why we prioritize organizational agility, strategic thinking, and the ability to make fast, data-driven decisions.

In this context, close and effective cooperation between leasing and marketing departments is essential. Only with clearly defined goals, a unified strategy, and high-quality communication can we create an offer and space that meets the needs of such a broad and diverse audience. The rapidly evolving socio-economic environment demands not only reactivity but proactivity. Such cooperation enables us to create inclusive, open, and future-ready destinations.

Looking ahead—what will be most important for shaping your center’s offer in the coming years?

The key to building the right tenant mix will remain the ability to flexibly respond to market changes and adapt to the specific needs of local communities. Each Gemini Park center operates in a unique environment, so we don’t follow a one-size-fits-all strategy. Instead, we rely on in-depth analysis of local trends, customer expectations, and the competitive landscape.

We listen closely to our customers to develop an offer that truly meets their needs—tailored precisely to each community. This approach gives us a solid foundation for operations, while enabling agile and accurate responses to change. Deep knowledge of our local markets allows us to make informed decisions that generate lasting value for customers, tenants, and business partners alike.

Today’s retail market—and the world in general—is characterized by unprecedented change. Only by staying ahead of these shifts can we continue to succeed.

The full interview is also available at propertynews.pl