The volume of entry of shopping centers is growing in Moscow, and the vacancy in them is reduced
According to the results of the first quarter of 2025, the volume of entry of retail space in Moscow increased more than doubled compared to the same period of 2024. However, this did not lead to an increase in the share of free space in retail facilities, on the contrary, it has even decreased a little. According to experts, this is only a consequence of the rapid filling of small shopping centers. At this time, large -format objects are not in such great demand among tenants.
In January -March of 2025, the volume of entry of shopping centers in Moscow increased more than twice a year by the year, to 79 thousand square meters. m, calculated in the consulting company Core.xp. Similar figures following the results of the first quarter of this year were recorded in the IBC Real Estate: according to this company, the volume of the new construction of trade centers in Moscow increased by the year, to 69 thousand square meters. m.
The growth is explained by the input of objects for which the deadlines have been repeatedly transferred, as well as the launch of several large trade centers, the head of the Department of Research and IBC REAL ESTATE research and analytics Ekaterina Nogai states.
In general, about 391.4 thousand square meters will be introduced in 2025. m of trading real estate, which is three times more than in 2024, counted the director of the Department of Trade Real Estate NF Group Evgeny Khakberdieva. However, about 10–20% of this volume by the end of the year, most likely, can be moved to the next year.
Despite the possible record increase in the input volumes, the share of free space in the torgents in the first quarter of 2025 decreased by 1.8 percentage points a year by the year, to 4.7%, calculated in Core.xp. Until the end of 2025, this indicator, most likely, will remain at the current level, predicts in the company.
However, such a decrease is not an indicator of the restoration of demand for retail spaces. According to the director of the Core.xp retractions of Evgenia Prilutskaya, a high vacancy was observed a year ago due to the release of retail premises after leaving the Russian Federation large international brands, now these areas were gradually filled with Russian brands, which slightly reduced the vacancy.
Even increasing input volumes are not enough to increase the share of free areas: new objects make up a relatively small part in the total volume of retail spaces and, due to a small format, are quickly filled after the opening, Pavel Lyulin, vice president of the Union of shopping centers.
The average area of the shopping center is now 10-16 thousand square meters. m – such objects are enough several anchor tenants to ensure the necessary traffic, said Andrey Shuvalov, senior director of CMWP consulting company.
Lessers in small tr off centers willingly agree with operators on flexible conditions to fill their spaces, says Pavel Lyulin. However, Mr. Shuvalov draws attention, there are no fashion-rhythilers in such objects, namely, they create an attractive environment for purchases in large-format shopping centers.
Nevertheless, the rate of filling of large retail spaces leave much to be desired. According to Evgenia Prilutskaya, the new object needs about two years to achieve almost complete filling: the difficult economic situation and the growth of online trade slow down the process of implementing the area. In addition, local retailers have already passed the period of peak activity and are now beginning to reduce the pace of their expansion, explains Ekaterina Nogai. By the end of 2025, they counted in CMWP, 57% less new brands will enter the Russian market than in 2024, their number will be reduced to 22 brands, most of them are Russian.
