Mercedes Benz Quarter: Successful concept with dynamic prospects

When it opened five years ago, the EAST SIDE MALL paved the way for today's mall concept with around 25,000 square meters of rental space and around 100 stores on three retail levels: a mix of shopping, services, restaurants and leisure facilities in a young and dynamic environment. Today, the mall is an integral part of Berlin's retail sector and the new city quarter around the Mercedes-Benz Arena, on the north bank of the Spree and in a prominent location on Warschauer Brücke.

"The location and the shopping experience are key factors for the success of the EAST SIDE MALL. In a highly frequented district and prime location in the middle of the growing Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district and with a convincing mix of uses, the shopping mall will continue to offer the best conditions for stationary retail in the future," says Alexander Becker, Managing Director of the RFR Group.

A successful mall concept

With popular international clothing brands such as H&M, UNIQLO, Bershka and Urban Outfitters as well as popular local suppliers such as REWE, dm and Müller, the shopping center has had strong anchor tenants from day one, creating target group-oriented offers for the nearby catchment area of around 91,000 inhabitants as well as attracting domestic and international visitors. Supplementary offers such as the local IHK-certified Hasso von Hugo make-up artist school, exhibitions as well as gastronomy, sports and leisure facilities create additional frequency incentives.

This concept and the location's potential have proven to be both resilient and successful in view of the challenging conditions for the retail sector and the economy as a whole.

Prominent location in a growing neighborhood

Over the past fifteen years, the quarter between Ostbahnhof, East Side Gallery and Warschauer Strasse, which was developed along American lines, has become one of Berlin's largest business and entertainment districts on the site of the former East freight station.

In addition to the approximately 1.9 million event guests who visit the quarter every year, around 80,000 passers-by also head towards the mall every day: located directly at the S-Bahn and U-Bahn station, streetcar and bus stops on Warschauer Straße and within walking distance of the Ost-Bahn station and East Side Gallery, the EAST SIDE MALL registers large daily traffic flows as the city's transport hub with a connection to the airport.

With the completion and occupation of the 140 meter high office tower with more than 2,800 workplaces on Warschauer Brücke, the public potential of the EAST SIDE MALL will soon grow once again.

For further information about the growth industries, economic development, business and technology support for companies, investors and scientific institutions in the Airport Region Berlin Brandenburg please contact:

Sandra Koletzki ​​​​​​ | sandra.koletzki(at)airport-region.de

(Source: STÖBE. Die Agentur für Kommunikation GmbH, 11|14|2023 | "5 years of the EAST SIDE MALL in the Mercedes Benz Quarter: a successful concept with dynamic prospects")