# MILAN | Westfield Milan | Pro



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Milan’s roots in luxury fashion create the platform for a new forum for premium fashion and lifestyle. Westfield Milan, the new icon of world retailing, will be built just 10 minutes from the city centre. It will be Europe’s largest, most exclusive shopping centre, designed on the basis of a clearly defined vision: defining, shaping and combining under the same roof the very best of fashion, architecture, design, wining and dining, entertainment and technology, making its visitors the center of attention. 

The new capital of the retail world, a project where all spaces, both indoor and outdoor, will come together to create a spectacular, innovative and relaxing environment. A true natural habitat for consumers whether they wish to shop, meet friends or just spend time in a carefree environment. The project location could not be better connected to the center of Milan.

*Westfield Milan in figures*
- GLA: phase 1: 170.000 sqm – phase 2: 60.000 sqm
- Parking: over 13.500 car parks
- Catchment: over 5,4 million population in 60 minutes drive By car
- 10 minutes from Linate International Airport, 35 from Orio al Serio By train
- 15 minutes from the centre of Milan and one hour from Turin, Bologna and Genova

It has bought a major development site in Milan for $160 million in partnership with Italian businessman and former professional footballer Antonio Percassi. Gruppo Stilo is the Italian owner of major retail brands and a development company founded and largely owned by Mr Percassi. Westfield and GS purchased the 60ha adjacent to Milan's Linate airport to develop into "Westfield Milan". Westfield chairman Frank Lowy said the acquisition was a unique opportunity to establish the company in one of the wealthiest population centres in Europe, notwithstanding the current financial market volatility. "We believe that this site represents one of, if not the, best shopping centre development opportunities in continental Europe", he said. "Milan, Italy's major financial centre and a global fashion capital, has Italy's highest income demographic. Milan is the dominant retail city in Italy for luxury brands and is the headquarters of many major retail chains including Giorgio Armani, Prada and Versace," Westfield's co-chief executive Steven Lowy said.

- 300 stores
- 50 boutiques
- 50 restaurants
- 16 cinemas
- luxury five star Hotel + Spa
- entertainment and cultural spaces
- green spaces and artificial lake​


----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)




----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)




----------



## PortoNuts (Apr 26, 2008)

Wow. :drool:


----------



## GENIUS LOCI (Nov 18, 2004)

those 'windows' remind me of another mall in Milan, even if smaller. Bicocca Village


----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

edit


----------



## nameless dude (Dec 16, 2008)

Wow Westfield's opening up everywhere :shocked:


----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Italy’s biggest shopping attraction is taking shape — with a marquee French retailer as an anchor. Galeries Lafayette is to open a 194,000-square-foot flagship in Westfield Milan, a future mall billed as Italy’s largest and viewed as something of a gamble.








*The first phase of the development, covering almost 1.9 million square feet, is slated to open at the end of 2017 on a site in Segrate, 3.7 miles from central Milan and will contain about 300 stores. The second phase is to be completed in two to four years.* Galeries Lafayette said it reached an agreement with mall specialists Westfield and Arcus Real Estate, controlled by Stilo Immobiliare Finanziaria, to open the four-level, 194,400-square-foot unit, part of an accelerated international push and signaling that Europe’s department stores are stretching into new frontiers. “It is the combination of a promising market and a commercial operator that is very active worldwide that has convinced us to sign this opening in Milan,” Nicolas Houzé, chief executive officer of Galeries Lafayette’s department store division, told WWD. “We expect to draw a clientele from all nationalities, European and international, from North and South America, Asia and China.”

“Milan is an attractive city, it has been one of the factors,” he said. The French department store operator has opened locations in Berlin; Casablanca, Morocco; Dubai; Jakarta, Indonesia, and Beijing in recent years, and is plotting future units in Doha, Qatar, and Istanbul. It has 58 locations in France, including the Boulevard Haussmann flagship here that sprawls over 648,000 square feet and carries 2,500 brands in fashion, food and home decoration.

Galeries Lafayette is increasingly adopting an international view, and earlier this year held talks to acquire Britain’s House of Fraser. Nanjing Cenbest, a Chinese department store chain and a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate Sanpower Group, prevailed and acquired 89 percent of the U.K. department store group, as reported. The wholly owned Milan unit is to showcase what Galeries touted as “its unique know-how in fashion, from accessible to luxury.” “It will be a true department store with fashion, accessories, beauty, shoes, etc.,” Houzé said, noting the retailer is studying if it might also incorporate food and design objects. In entering Italy, Galeries Lafayette is going up against Italian department store operator La Rinascente — whose Milan flagship spans about 250,000 square feet of selling space and who has plans of its own to expand outside national borders. 

Last year, on the heels of bids and counterbids launched to secure Printemps in France, the retailer said it was acquiring the Copenhagen-based department store Illum. At the time, La Rinascente ceo Alberto Baldan said the plan was “to create a collection of luxury stores, not a chain.” In fact, Illum is to maintain its name. Baldan said then there were plans for additional such ventures in the near future in other major capitals. The acquisition was in line with strategies mapped out by La Rinascente.

*Representing an investment of about 1.3 billion euros, or $1.7 billion at current exchange, Westfield Milan is to include a luxury village, 50 restaurants, advanced digital technology, tourist and leisure services — such as cinemas — as well as a parking lot accommodating 10,000 cars. The mall has a target market of more than 7 million consumers with a potential spending power of 4.9 billion euros, or $6.6 billion, according to Westfield. Milan has one of the highest per capita retail spends in Europe. Capitalizing on this potential, Westfield Milan is expected to reach sales in excess of 1 billion euros, or $1.3 billion, comparable with both Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City in the U.K., at 1.2 billion pounds, or $1.6 billion, each. *

“This is an amazing project,” enthused Victor Busser Casas, general manager of Arcus Real Estate. “Imagine the Westfield project outside London — we want to do it bigger and better.” Asked about the timing of the project, in light of the lackluster economy in Italy, Busser Casas said the group was “convinced the worst of the crisis in Italy is over. We are at the bottom of the cycle and we will see increments in the next months. The second half of the year will be better. We know it’s been a difficult period, but it is also a moment of opportunities.” He conceded the project is “a big gamble, but one that has been very much studied. Italy is culturally based on fashion and shopping. This will not be a regional mall, but a world shopping center.”

He underscored that Milan’s region, Lombardy, is the country’s richest, one that attracts 33 million tourists annually. The executive said the project has met with “huge interest,” and that the group is speaking to all main luxury brands. He declined to provide specific names at the moment. “We are negotiating with top brands to anchor the luxury village and start active leasing,” he said, adding that youth and high-street labels will also be present. According to a business overview by Global Blue, which offers international tax-free shopping services for tourists, in the January to April 2014 period, top spenders in Milan were shoppers from the Russian Federation, accounting for 32 percent of the total, followed by customers from China, representing 22 percent. Regarding the agreement with Galeries Lafayette, Busser Casas said the idea is to “bring something different and new to the Italian market on the highest end. It’s a win-win.” He underscored that the mall will be unique “in terms of quality, management, design, brands and luxury. There is nothing of this quality, and it will show the newest, best and most modern architecture with an Italian flair.” 

Westfield Milan will be strategically positioned near the international Linate Airport, accessible to high-speed railway connections, and a new planned highway that will allow customers to drive from the center of Milan in less than 20 minutes. “Westfield’s global strategy is to develop iconic centers in key world cities and the inclusion of Italy’s first full-line Galeries Lafayette department store in this location will be a key attraction for consumers seeking a real point of difference,” said Michael Gutman, managing director Europe at Westfield. “For our first mall on mainland Europe, we will bring all our experience from London and other international centers as we believe the Milan region is dramatically underserved by a quality retail and leisure attraction.” “The center is located in a key area of Italy with an attractive domestic and tourist catchment for retailers,” added Antonio Percassi, chairman of Stilo Immobiliare Finanziaria. “The per capita income in the region exceeds the European average by 35 percent and attracts over 13 million annual tourists. We are extremely proud that Westfield Milan will also create thousands of new jobs for Italy.”

Armando Branchini, deputy chairman of Milan-based InterCorporate consultancy, said the project is “a big gamble,” given the current economy, but that “the group likely has hopes everything will change in three or four years.” He said Galeries Lafayette is a name synonymous with expertise and that it is a brand well-known to Italians and tourists alike, one that will convey “a boost in reputation,” and help draw customers to a mall that is not positioned in the center of the city. “It is likely that such a mall will negatively affect wholesalers in cities nearby, such as Bergamo or Brescia, more than in Milan,” said Branchini.​


----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

edit


----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

*Westfield raises bet on Italy*

Westfield Corp, officially announced in a statement to the Wall Street Journal, it would increase its stake up to 1.4 billion euro in Westfield Milan, the mega mall that will be built in Segrate (east Milan). The political and economic instability in Italy had hitherto deterred Westfield to increase its position in the country, but efforts of Italian legislators, have stimulated a renewed international investment. The mall will have an area of 1.8 million sqm; construction works will begin between 2015 and 2016, as announced by the group last Wednesday, and it will take about three years to complete.​


----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Mike Rann, Australian ambassador to Italy, on his Twitter account :cheers:

_Pleased to address ABIE(Australian Business in Europe) group in Milan, who are looking to set up an Australian and NZ Chamber of Commerce. And to catch up with Daniele Mancini, who runs the online real estate network in Italy, Casa.It, 100% Australian owned employing 300 people. *And execs from Australia's Westfield which is planning to build the biggest shopping centre in Europe in Milan. 27,000 construction jobs.*_

September 8, 2015


----------



## Axelferis (Jan 18, 2008)

Great.
I see Milan like a north european city but with a hot mediteranean climate.
Almost london or paris on some aspects but with a dolce vita.


----------



## GENIUS LOCI (Nov 18, 2004)

Come on winter to have a cold Northern European climate


----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Construction work of Westfield Milan should begin on July 2016. In addition, the Segrate station will be moved near the Westfield, becoming the "East Gate" of Milan, in order to host trains of the high-speed network. Westfield Milano will be well linked with Milano Linate Airport and the city center thanks a new subway line (M4 - blue line), which is already U/C.

http://www.ediesse.net/inside.php?page=4&element=6353


----------



## proevolution (Jan 20, 2012)

IThomas said:


> Construction work of Westfield Milan should begin on July 2016. In addition, the Segrate station will be moved near the Westfield, becoming the "East Gate" of Milan, in order to host trains of the high-speed network. Westfield Milano will be well linked with Milano Linate Airport and the city center thanks a new subway line (M4 - blue line), which is already U/C.
> 
> http://www.ediesse.net/inside.php?page=4&element=6353


se non sbaglio stanno spostando sempre più in là la data.

prima doveva essere pronto per expo,poi per il 2017\2018, adesso si parla addirittura di 2020!


----------



## towerpower123 (Feb 12, 2013)

I would complain about the placement, but it has a direct rail connection, so it is a great project.


----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)




----------



## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Between late June and early July, Westfield should begin the demolition work of the buildings located in the dismitted area. 
Percassi Group explained to local authorities the operations to be carried out first.








http://www.ediesse.net/it/articoli/segrate/nel-cantiere-di-westfield.html

Stay tuned! :cheers:


----------



## FelixMadero (Aug 29, 2005)

I prefer a new neighborhood with shops instead a big shopping mall in the middle of nowhere.


----------



## NOMAD€ (Feb 3, 2013)

In the middle of nowhere? :?


----------

