Most malls manage to find balance with tenants on payments during war

Most shopping and entertainment centers managed to find a balance with tenants on payments during the war, head of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) in Ukraine Maksym Havriushyn told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Most of the malls did not charge rent for March. Only OPEX and utility bills were charged, and even more often actual ones. Those shopping centers that do not work fully for any reason charge nothing," Havriushyn commented on the situation at the Sky Mall, where the management does not give tenants access to their retail outlets and product balances and requires payment for March 2022.

As RAU.ua reported, on February 25, the mall's security refused to provide access to retail outlets for representatives of the Sova and Love You brands. For the transfer of goods, they demanded the full rent payment for March, while the rent of one of the stores was paid, but for the transfer of goods from it, they demanded payment for the second.

Novus is also not allowed to evacuate goods. "Sky Mall does not respond to any of our proposals, they refer to existing contracts, which, in their understanding, continue to operate. Not everyone understands that non-working stores are not a source of income," RAU.ua quotes Novus COO Oleksiy Panasenko.

Managing Director of Malls Club Ukraine Artem Shlapak said that many malls in Ukraine demonstrate a partnership approach in cooperation with tenants, which allowed the market to survive two difficult COVID years.

"And now, during the war, the malls use the experience gained and try to negotiate with each tenant. After all, we are faced with the task of not only defeating the enemy, but also preserving and supporting the economy," he wrote on Facebook.

In his opinion, it is now important to find a balance on three points: to provide the consumer with maximum access to goods in wartime, to support the partner-tenants who have decided to work as much as possible now, as well as to cover the operating costs of the mall, to ensure the safety of tenants' property, the safety of customers and staff.

"There can be no talk of any blackmail. Only negotiations and a partnership approach in everything," Shlapak said.

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua