During the war, the number of shoppers at the shopping center noticeably declined — which is understandable. Furniture, even in peacetime, wasn’t a basic necessity, and during the war, the need to buy new items dropped even further. On top of that, many Ukrainians experienced a significant decline in purchasing power.
Still, the spacious retail spaces of B-52 did not become empty — not in terms of visitors, and even more importantly, not in terms of tenants. The shopping center continues to offer favorable conditions not only for retail, but also for offices, storage, and other commercial uses.

We asked B-52 director Liubov Makerova to share what new steps her team has taken to strengthen their leasing position.

– We understand how difficult it is right now for our core clients — furniture businesses — to stay afloat. Nearly every second furniture company is experiencing financial difficulties. That’s why the most important thing we did was reduce and stabilize the rent. It was crucial to ease the burden on our tenants without becoming unprofitable ourselves. The decision proved timely and effective — hardly any tenants left our center, except for a few companies that ceased operations entirely. On the contrary, in 2023 alone, we signed new leases totaling over 1,200 square meters.

Some of our long-time tenants include Konstanta, Taburetka, SimYa, Divanoff, Bis M, UkrIzra, Birka, and many others.

I should also mention a special benefit we call ‘renovation holidays.’ It means that when a company moves in, they can set up their rented space however they like. And during this setup period — one or even two months — rent is charged at a discounted rate. It’s definitely a convenience.

— And what about attracting more visitors and potential buyers?

– We invited Nova Poshta to open a branch in the shopping center, which has been operating since the beginning of the year. We also reached out to Ukrposhta. A division of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ukraine operates on our premises, attracting motorists. They can also access services from the insurance company Oranta. Additionally, experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Forensic Center of the MIA consult on-site. There’s also a financial institution — a branch of Kominbank. Visitors and our clients can also shop at an ATB supermarket, which recently moved under our roof. It’s essential that both visitors and tenants can access all these services — this adds even more appeal to our center.

— Among your three leasing directions — retail, office, and storage — have any priorities shifted during the war?

– Not really. Retail space is still the most in demand. But there is one common trend: potential tenants are mostly looking for smaller rental areas.

— You’ve already done a lot to attract new tenants and make current ones feel more comfortable, and to draw more visitors. But we assume you’re not stopping there?

– Exactly. We recently renovated a large section of the roof — about 5,000 square meters — which, as you can imagine, wasn’t cheap. We replaced all windows with more energy-efficient ones and upgraded the water supply system to avoid unexpected issues.

Soon, we plan to enhance our energy resilience by installing solar panels to use solar energy.

We’re also preparing projects for rebranding the halls, the facade, elevators, landscaping, and advertising. As soon as the war ends, we’ll begin bringing those ideas to life.