The business district of Vilnius is developing faster than any of the city’s districts. Today, 17,000 people live in the district. Another 40,000 people work for private companies and state and municipal government offices and service centers located in the area.

In just a few years, the total number of people living, working and visiting the district every day is expected to grow to 100 thousand.

The demographics of the people who work and live in the business district are predominantly of working age and with medium and higher incomes. They have an active fast-paced lifestyle, and they have more purchasing power than the city average.

In this dynamic and active environment, Europa Shopping Center is uniquely located just a few minutes’ walk from the office towers, next to the main city roads and easily accessible by foot, bicycle, public transportation and car.

A giant strategic leap into the future

Built in 2004, Europa Shopping Center used to be a traditional shopping center, but in the summer of 2022 after undergoing significant renovation, the shopping center took a giant leap into the future of retail.

After months of planning and with the help of leading European shopping center concept developers, a new strategy for Europe Shopping Center was launched.

The vision behind the strategy has been to create a one-stop solution. A concept tailored to fit the needs and habits of the modern, urban customers who live and work in the area, many of which visit Europa more than once a day – for a morning coffee, take-away lunch, an afternoon workout, drinks with colleagues, or dinner with friends.

The new strategy is a ‘three-in-one’ concept that brings together shopping, beauty and health services and leisure:

  • Food and restaurants are located on the ground floor of the shopping center with access to outdoor terraces during summer
  • Exclusive clothing and sustainable fashion stores, pick-up points for online stores are located on the first floor
  • On the top floor, there are sports and health services, men’s and women’s beauty salons, and co-working spaces

The reconstruction work itself included a new food hall, a new bakery & coffee area, a new amphitheater and atrium spaces for meetings, work, and leisure, renovated interior common areas and inside store facades and 4 additional escalators.

The key to the success of the strategy

In the first quarter of 2023, businesses operating at Europa Shopping Center reported a 42% increase in total turnover while the visitor traffic increased by 33% compared to the same period of 2022.

One of the keys to the success of the strategy is engaging with the customers and teaming up with the tenants to deliver the desired customer experience.

One of the new tenants on the ground floor is ALI Chocolate, an exclusive confectionery company. ALI Chocolate opened its chocolate shop less than a year ago and a deciding factor was the vision for Europa and the owner’s ability to implement ideas.

For ALI Chocolate, the shop opening has been a success with sales exceeding expectations and customer loyalty being very high – some customers even come by with colleagues during lunchtime and then return later after work to buy desserts to bring home. Many also pay the shop a visit to buy a gift or when new products are launched.

Another new tenant who was attracted by the new strategy was Huracan Coffee, a high-end Lithuanian chain of cafés. For Huracan Coffee, the Vilnius CBD location was one of the most important criteria when deciding to open a café at Europa because their typical customers are busy people who spend time in the city center. Another key factor was the flexibility from the shopping center’s side, which made it possible to team up to create a win-win situation for the café as well as Europa.

The new strategy of Europa Shopping Center and the supplementary improvements and renovation projects will be fully implemented in 2025.

Other facts about Europa Shopping Center

Europa Shopping Center offers about 75 stores and restaurants. The total floor plan is about 22,000 m2. The leasable area is 16,901 m2. Skylights are designed so that natural light creates a cozy atmosphere. Greenery and broad walkways ensure a pleasant shopping experience.

Both ALI Chocolate and Huracan Café are located on the ground floor. On the same floor, you can find the Dialogai food hall concept with 10 restaurants.