Fashion remains Europe’s dominant sector in retail real estate leasing in 2025: Cushman & Wakefield

According to Cushman & Wakefield’s (C&W) European Retail Radar, which is predicated on an evaluation of retail real estate leasing transactions throughout Europe, trend remained the dominant retail sector in the primary half of 2025, accounting for 37% of all area let. By variety of transactions, the mixed-goods sector ranked second, representing 24% of the world let and 17% of transactions concluded between January and June. In third place by variety of transactions, the meals and beverage (F&B) and private items sectors share the podium, with 13% every.

According to João Esteves, retail director at Cushman & Wakefield in Portugal: “In Portugal too, real estate strategy remains central to success in the retail sector. High street retail continued to be the predominant format for new openings, with the foodservice segment standing out by accounting for 47% of new units opened in the first half of 2025,” he stated in an announcement.

“The leisure and culture segment accounted for 17% of openings, while fashion represented 9%, reflecting the growing diversity of the retail offer. Nevertheless, the retail parks format continues its strong growth trajectory, and shopping centres have shown strong consolidation over the last few years,” João Esteves stated.

Over the final two years, Avenida da Liberdade, Lisbon’s pre-eminent luxurious thoroughfare, has welcomed the Fashion Clinic and Paul & Shark flagships, and seen the reopening of the renovated Cartier and Longchamp boutiques, to call a couple of.

Across Europe, the style sector accounts for round 70% of the world let and of transactions concluded in the primary half of the yr, with trend retailers accountable for greater than a 3rd of all transactions. For instance, Mango, Jack & Jones, and several other Inditex group manufacturers — notably Zara and Massimo Dutti — have been among the many most energetic in the primary six months of 2025.

Luxury-segment lettings rose by greater than 50% yr on yr, significantly in Italy and the UK, with a number of contracts additionally signed in France and the Czech Republic.

The report additionally notes that the style business’s momentum is underpinned by the excessive ranges of tourism recorded throughout Europe, that are anticipated to succeed in historic highs in 2025, with the variety of long-haul travellers estimated to exceed 2019 arrival ranges for the primary time because the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, it concludes.