Successful rebranding to “Westfield Ruhr Park”– shopping and leisure destination in Bochum becomes part of the Westfield network of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in Germany
In the 60th anniversary year, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) is crowning the success story of one of the largest shopping and leisure destinations in Germany: Westfield Ruhr Park is the third destination in Germany to bear the internationally renowned Westfield brand name, alongside Westfield Centro in Oberhausen and the development project Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier. The new brand name is associated with a quality concept that sets standards in the areas of lifestyle, shopping, dining and leisure activities. The rebranding to Westfield Ruhr Park took place on September 26, 2024, as part of a major event, matching the 60th anniversary of the centre, which was opened in 1964. The big highlight of the rebranding event was the concert by singer-songwriter Nico Santos.
The 31-year-old Nico Santos performed his greatest hits in front of 3,000 fans who had successfully taken part in a ticket draw. The evening concluded with a spectacular show in which the old logo was ceremoniously replaced by the new one. URW had also invited over 100 representatives from local business, politics and administration, as well as a circle of business and rental partners, as exclusive guests to the event.
Jakub Skwarlo, Chief Operating Officer Central Europe at URW, says: “With the new brand name Westfield Ruhr Park, this already very successful destination will become even more attractive for international and national brands and concepts. In line with the rebranding, we are continuing to work consistently on the strategic development of the asset and will position the centre even more distinctly as a flagship destination with a unique mix of retail as well as experience-oriented dining and entertainment concepts. The rebranding will allow us to combine the extraordinary history of this traditional location in the heart of the Ruhr region with the strength of the international Westfield brand, which is renowned for its unique destinations offering innovative shopping, lifestyle and leisure concepts.”
Westfield Ruhr Park joins the now 39 Westfield flagship destinations in the US and Europe, a unique platform of the best shopping and lifestyle destinations that stand for exceptional brand and concept mixes, exciting brand experiences, emotional events, and marketing campaigns, as well as industry-leading services and sustainability standards. The combination of the international reputation of the Westfield brand and the local tradition of the centre in Bochum will further increase the attractiveness of the asset and at the same time give the entire city of Bochum and the surrounding region even more appeal. The rebranding to Westfield Ruhr Park will benefit the entire retail and tourism location of Bochum and also increase its importance in a supra-regional context.
With around 118,700 square meters of rental area and over 150 stores, Westfield Ruhr Park in Bochum is one of the largest shopping and leisure destinations in Germany. In recent years, the mix of tenants and brands has been continuously optimized and differentiated. The latest major highlight in this context was the opening of the questing/reality gaming concept Boda Borg in May this year. Westfield Ruhr Park’s position as a dining and leisure destination is strengthened by UCI Kinowelt as well as an extensive range of restaurants and cafés from national and international brands. The open-air location is easy to reach by car, including via a direct highway connection and via various bus lines. In addition, a range of modern mobility services, such as Tesla e-charging stations, are available.