What: ECE Marketplaces will take over centre management and leasing at Breuninger's two Breuningerland shopping centres in Sindelfingen and Ludwigsburg from 1 January 2027, replacing Sonae Sierra.

Why it is important: By separating ownership from operations, Breuninger keeps strategic control of its two regional centres while relying on ECE's scale to strengthen tenant mix and leasing.

Breuninger is pressing ahead with the strategic development of its two Breuningerland shopping centres in Sindelfingen and Ludwigsburg. From 1 January 2027, ECE Marketplaces will be responsible for leasing, centre marketing, facility management and day-to-day operations, succeeding Sonae Sierra, which has managed both centres since autumn 2025. Breuninger is investing in both sites over the long term and presents the new operating set-up as the basis for their future development.

Breuninger will remain the strategic driver of the centres' development, contributing its experience in fashion and lifestyle retail and in designing high-end customer experiences. Hendrik Pannenborg, Chief Real Estate Officer, said the shared ambition is to create an environment that attracts customers, offers retail partners convincing prospects and strengthens the regional appeal of both centres. Joanna Fisher, CEO of ECE Marketplaces, described the partnership as bringing together two experienced players in retail, customer focus and shopping-centre management.

The partners plan to build clearly positioned site profiles, a tenant and sector mix matched to demand, modern services and an environment that encourages longer visits. ECE manages around 200 retail properties, operates in eleven countries and oversees assets worth €28 billion, with more than 17,000 shops and 3.4 million daily visitors.

IADS Notes: The handover to ECE comes after Hendrik Pannenborg took charge of Breuninger's property portfolio in January 2026, succeeding Prof. Michael Cesarz with responsibility for the management and development of all its locations (Press Release, December 2025). It also follows the launch of Breuninger Park in Stuttgart, a mixed-use complex due in 2027 that combines mobility infrastructure with offices, restaurants and retail (Press Release, March 2026). Together, these moves confirm real estate as a strategic business line for the retailer. The emphasis on site profiles, tenant mix and dwell time echoes The Mall Group, which repositioned The Mall Ramkhamhaeng as a curated cultural hub built around vintage, resale and creative lifestyle brands (Press Release, April 2026). The Mall Group is also moving beyond the traditional landlord model, using loyalty, AI and experiential attractions to increase dwell time and repeat visits (Retail News Asia, May 2026). Breuninger's model differs in one respect: it keeps strategic direction of its centres while handing leasing, marketing, facility management and day-to-day operations to an external specialist.

ECE to take over centre management of Breuninger's two Breuningerland shopping centres