Urban HUB in Kaunas fills up with tenants: welcoming the IKI shopping chain
One of the largest Lithuanian retail chains, “Iki”, will open its newest store in the “Urban HUB” commercial campus in the Kaunas district. The lease deal at Urban HUB marks the beginning of a shopping park space for convenient everyday shopping. The investment in the 2,000 sqm store and adjacent space will amount to over EUR 1 million.
A shopping centre for residents and employees
“Together with the Iki team, we will not only open a new store but also begin to create a shopping space in the northern part of the Kaunas district, focused on the daily shopping experience. It will accommodate businesses that will save customers’ time. We will concentrate in one place what the shopper needs quickly and conveniently – from everyday services to essential food and household goods in a large shopping centre. Iki is already a favourite chain among the residents of Kaunas and its region, so we trust and believe that together with the major tenant, we will create an exceptional experience for Urban HUB customers and the community,” says Giedrius Muliuolis, CEO of Urban HUB.
“The newest planned Iki store in Urban HUB will help us to further strengthen our position in the Kaunas region. We believe that the project’s attractive location, convenient accessibility and exceptional architecture will meet our customers’ expectations. With each new and modern store, we aim to be as close as possible to our customers and offer them the best shopping experience and the highest quality goods,” says Lina Muižienė, Executive Director of Iki Lietuva, responsible for the network of “Iki” stores.
It is planned that the Iki shopping centre in the Urban HUB campus, being developed by SBA Urban, will open in early 2025.
Shopping park concept
“The Iki shopping centre will occupy just over 1,700 sqm of space, while the area next to the cash desk will have over 200 sqm of space for various small tenants – a pharmacy, specialised groceries, and everyday services.
“We base the concept of the retail park on a convenient and quick shopping experience for both the customers of the businesses that will be located in the Urban HUB commercial campus and the people who commute along the A6 road every day to and from work. Everything you could possibly need is close by. From a grocery store to a tailor’s shop to a pharmacy,” says G. Muliuolis.
The new shopping centre and the shopping park next to it will be easy to get to, as it is planned next to a busy stretch of the A6 (Kaunas-Jonava) road. However, in the inner alleys of Urban HUB, as well as on the A1 side of the motorway, specialised retail and work spaces are being created – this is a place businesses that benefits the most from the stock-office concept. They plan to set up exhibition areas, store items and set up everyday offices for the team. The stock-office concept combines office, warehouse, retail and even manufacturing space, and the town’s convenience store will be an attraction for service providers and specialty shops to set up nearby.
The Urban HUB retail park is planned to be developed in the project’s first two phases, with the second phase starting construction early next year and opening in 2025. The first phase of 20,000 sqm is currently under construction. Urban HUB, an office, retail and logistics campus in the Kaunas district, is the largest project of its kind in the Baltic region. Over 70,000 sqm of space is expected to accommodate over 100 different types of businesses, and the investment in the project will amount to around EUR 90 million.
In parallel to the Urban HUB in Kaunas District, a 20,000 sqm stock office and retail park are being developed in Vilnius, near Ukmergės Street. Construction work is expected to start this month, and the first businesses will open in mid-2024.
