Centro Oberhausen becomes first Westfield flagship destination in Germany

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) crowns the 25-year success story of Centro Oberhausen and makes Germany’s largest shopping and experience center the first flagship destination in Germany for the internationally renowned Westfield brand.

The future Westfield Centro will become part of a network of flagship shopping centers in Europe and the U.S. that collectively reaches a total of over one billion clients per year. The new name is accompanied by a quality concept that sets standards for experience-oriented shopping and has a high appeal for exceptional brands, partners and events. The renaming to Westfield Centro will take place in September 2021 as part of various experience-oriented events and will put Oberhausen on a par with cities such as New York, London, Paris or Stockholm.

As part of URW, the name Westfield is the global reference for shopping destinations with high quality standards in the retail, lifestyle, leisure, entertainment and gastronomy environment. The combination of the international reputation of the Westfield brand and Centro Oberhausen’s many years of expertise in the field of experience-oriented shopping is unique in Germany. Visitors can look forward to emotional events, unforgettable concerts and brand cooperations and experiences. National and international partners and emerging brands from the retail, gastronomy and entertainment sectors can expect innovative structures at Westfield Centro, such as digitally networked locations and communication as well as multi-platform marketing and bundled contact points to potential customers.

Voices on the rebranding as a Westfield destination
From September, this next step will now also follow for the future Westfield Centro, which will thus appear as part of a Europe-wide marketing and advertising campaign in a series with five other branded Westfield destinations: “The rebranding combines the extraordinary history of this traditional location in the heart of the vibrant Ruhr area and the strength of the international Westfield brand, which is world-famous for its unique flagship destinations and innovative shopping and experience concepts,” says Andreas Hohlmann, Managing Director at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Austria and Germany.

Constantin Wiesmann, Director of Leasing at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Germany, sees the decision as a milestone in the center’s strategy: “In mid-2019, we made an investment of 20 million euros to enlarge and modernize the Coca-Cola Oasis, thus installing the second largest food court in Europe. We have also established ourselves as the first point of contact for the most innovative brands from the online and technology sectors, as evidenced by the openings of Dyson and Huawei or Mister Spex and BALR.”

“We are proud to be the first and currently the only center in Germany to bear the name Westfield,” says Marcus Remark, center manager at Centro Oberhausen and, in the future, Westfield Centro. “It is now mentioned in the same category as the best centers in Paris or Barcelona. At the same time, however, the local and regional identity remains. It offers clear added value for our tenants and guests and will help us lead Westfield Centro into a successful future.”

New Westfield flagship centers also in France, Spain and Austria
In addition to the future Westfield Centro, the URW destinations La Part-Dieu in Lyon (France), La Maquinista and Glòries in Barcelona (Spain) and the Donau Zentrum and Shopping City Süd in Vienna (Austria) will also receive Westfield branding. Aside from being among the most important retail centers in their respective markets, the new Westfield flagship centers share a number of other characteristics: they are set in excellent locations with unrivalled transport options, have distinctive architectural and design features and a best-in-class approach in terms of community engagement, corporate social responsibility and sustainability. In the second half of 2023, Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier in Hamburg’s HafenCity, which is currently under construction, will become the second Westfield destination in Germany.

Flagship destination in the Ruhr area: the Westfield Centro in Oberhausen
With a total area of 230,000 square meters, the Westfield Centro in Oberhausen will also be Germany’s largest shopping and experience center under its new name. Around 240 stores, including a total of 47 gastronomy concepts, a multifunctional hall with 12,500 seats, the Legoland® Discovery Centre and a cinema are located on the site. The direct surroundings of the “Neue Mitte” district also offer the internationally renowned Oberhausen exhibition location Gasometer, Germany’s largest Sealife aquarium and an adventure swimming pool. With direct highway connections as well as streetcar and bus stops directly in front of the entrance, Westfield Centro is optimally connected to the regional and national infrastructure.

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