SES Spar European Shopping Centers

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SES expands in Croatia and starts construction of S-PARK Varaždin

New life for a historic site

This is how the S-PARK Varaždin will look after the planned completion in 2027. The construction was given the green light on August 18, 2025.
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A major impetus for the region: On Monday, August 18, 2025, SES Spar European Shopping Centers started construction of the S-PARK Varaždin in the northwest of Croatia. In a first step, the existing structures on the site will be demolished, with the construction work for the new retail park beginning two months later.The new S-PARK will breathe new life into this historic but long-abandoned site of the former “Varteks” textile factory. Where once textiles were produced, a diverse and modern retail park is set to open in 2027, featuring 12 shops, gastronomy with outdoor seating and a range of service offerings across an area of 11,500 square meters. The centerpiece will be the region’s first INTERSPAR hypermarket. The real estate developer and operator SES is investing more than EUR 28 million in the project, thus continuing its expansion in the Croatian market.

S-PARK is the brand name for SES retail parks, which are characterized by their high-quality execution. The introduction of the new S-PARK in Varaždin will significantly improve the range of services and amenities available to the people in the city and the surrounding area, particularly in terms of local supply and attractive anchor stores.


The project at a glance:

  • Investment: more than EUR 28 million
  • Location: Zagrebačka ulica, Varaždin, Croatia
  • Start of construction: August 18, 2025
  • Completion: 2027
  • Total area: approx. 11,500 m² GLA on a site of 50,000 m²
  • Parking spaces: approx. 430 including e-charging stations
  • Architecture: HB Format
  • Construction: 3B Engineering


Central location – excellent connectivity
The new S-PARK Varaždin is being developed on a site of around 50,000 m², just some 500 meters from the city center and directly on Zagrebačka ulica – one of the most-frequented main roads into the city. The transport connections for pedestrians, cyclists and users of public transportation are outstanding. The planned 430 customer parking spaces, e-charging stations, bicycle parking spaces and a new traffic circle will contribute to easy and comfortable access.

Brownfield factory site being revitalized
The architecture of the S-PARK intentionally draws on the distinctive brick architecture of the former industrial site and combines it with modern elements. Individual parts of the old buildings will be retained, creating a strong bridge to the site’s history. Measures such as LED lighting, preparations to support photovoltaic systems and infrastructure for e-mobility are fixed elements of the construction project.

Christoph Andexlinger, CEO of SES Spar European Shopping Centers:
“With the S-PARK Varaždin, we are creating an extensive selection of shopping opportunities and local amenities. We are particularly pleased that the historic site, which has strong emotional roots in the region, will be staging a spectacular comeback in 2027. This makes this project something really special for SES.”

Miroslav Marković, deputy mayor of Varaždin:
“Varaždin is a city of entrepreneurship and Croatia’s best city to live in. Any investor who creates new jobs, brings additional quality to our city and demonstrates a high degree of social responsibility towards our citizens is warmly welcomed. And therefore we eagerly anticipate the arrival of the renowned investor SES in Varaždin, as well as the start of construction for the new S-PARK center, which will offer our citizens new options on the former Varteks site.”

High purchasing power in the region
With around 46,000 residents, the city of Varaždin is one of Croatia’s economically strongest regions. Here, the new S-PARK will find a receptive environment with high purchasing power and a growing population density. Particularly in the adjoining residential areas of Džurek, Brezje, Bronx and Biškupec, the new destination is set to be a highlight in this part of the city, alongside the famous football stadium and the city swimming pool.

SES in Croatia
SES has operated the KING CROSS Zagreb shopping mall in Croatia since 2018, and took ownership of the property in 2019. By the fall of 2026, after undergoing a complete refurbishment, the shopping center will be the most modern shopping destination in the whole of Croatia. SES had already been present in the Croatian market since acquiring the Ipercoop locations in 2009, and is now further expanding its presence in Croatia with the S-PARK project.


SES Spar European Shopping Centers

SES is active as a developer, constructor, and operator of shopping centers in six Central European countries: Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, and Czech Republic. The company currently manages 32 shopping locations in Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, with a total leasable area (GLA) of more than 866,000 square meters. SES is the market leader in Austria and Slovenia for large-scale shopping centers. With over 117 million visitors every year, the retail partners in SES shopping centers generated a total sales turnover of 3.54 billion euros in 2024.  SES also offers its know-how in the areas of project development, construction management, leasing of shop space, as well as center and facility management very successfully to external owners of shopping malls. SES centers have already received several national and international awards for architecture and design, sustainability, traffic flow concepts, and innovative marketing. In 2023 the ALEJA Shopping Center in Ljubljana won the internationally acclaimed ECSP Design and Development Award in the category of New Centre Developments of 15,000 to 45,000 Square Metres. SES is part of the SPAR Austria Group.

Additional information can be found at: www.ses-european.com and presse.ses-european.com.

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Contact
Claudia Streitwieser-Schinagl (EN)
Claudia Streitwieser-Schinagl
Head of Public Relations
T +43 662 4471
M +43 664 2650 450 
E-Mail
Claudia Streitwieser-
Schinagl
Head of Public Relations

T +43 (0)662 4471-0
M +43 (0)664 2650450

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