Retailtainment: Leisure Activities Characterize the New Shopping Centre Experience
Das Loop5 zählt diverse Freizeitattraktionen wie diese Kletterstruktur von Walltopia zu seinem Angebot | Photo: Savvy Communications.
(eap) Shopping centres in Germany are increasingly evolving into leisure destinations. According to the latest Shopping Center Report 2025 by the EHI Retail Institute, experiential offerings, and gastronomic concepts are becoming even more relevant for shopping centres. “Revitalising shopping centres ensures that they remain relevant to people’s lives,” explains Lena Knopf, EHI expert and author of the report. It is no longer just a matter of modernising the building structure, but of fundamental realignment in terms of retailtainment – i.e. the combination of retail, entertainment and experience.
The following revitalisation projects provide concrete examples of this development: At Loop5 in Weiterstadt, a climbing park, a water playground, a freefall tower and a new food court have been integrated, among other things (see EAP 3/2024). The Rhein-Neckar-Zentrum focuses on leisure activities such as a trampoline hall and an indoor skydiving facility. In many centres, gastronomy is also being expanded as an experiential element – for example with concepts such as the rooftop bar “Glorious Garden” at Lago in Constance.
A total of eleven shopping centres in Germany were extensively revitalized in 2024, while 38 others are currently being renovated, according to the report. The measures range from partial redesigns and energy-efficient refurbishments to a deliberate reduction in retail space in favour of other uses such as leisure, health or services. With a growing proportion of gastronomy (around twelve percent of all tenancies) and increasing leisure offerings, the sector is shifting its focus from a pure shopping experience to a holistic world of experience. ■
