eKapija's investment team has recently done an analysis and formed the rank list of investments and investment ideas that drew the greatest attention of eKapija's users in 2011. The results are very interesting, some are expected, but there is a plenty of surprises, so that we've decided to share this information with you.

Projects are classified into 12 categories and this time we are presenting the most interesting investments in the category of SHOPPING CENTERS.

As it was expected, the greatest attention of our readers was drawn by the takeover of the leading market chain in Serbia - Delta Maxi. The arrival of Belgium's Delhaize Group brought hope that foreign trade magnates were approaching Serbia. However, unlike previous years, when all we had were speculations, Germany's Lidl also made a significant step last year by founding a company in our country and analyzing several attractive locations for its future stores.

Still, when you take a look at our rank list, decentralization of trade investments is what makes the strongest impression. Aside from Belgrade, major investments in that field in 2011 were also announced, commenced or implemented in Novi Sad, Indjija, Stara Pazova, Pancevo, Kragujevac, Nis...

Unlike eKapija's previous retrospectives in this category, this one shows that our readers got bored "waiting for Godot." For the first time in years, Sweden's Ikea furniture manufacturer was not in the focus of attention.

The first-ranked investment is the arrival of Delhaize Group, which became the owner of Delta Maxi for EUR 932.5 million. In that way, Belgians came into possession of over 50% of stores in Serbia and Delta's seven distribution centers.

People were also eager to learn the answer to the question - Which country will get the tax on profit from the sale of Delta Maxi? However, former owner Miroslav Miskovic confirmed that about EUR 1 million worth of tax would be paid to Serbia.

Belgians were the first to make a move, but it seems that Germans also refused to just sit doing nothing. Therefore, the second place belongs to the arrival of the famous retail store chain Lidl.

Lidl is currently analyzing about twenty cities in Serbia where it plans to open its facilities. As the media announced in mid-2011, two cities that will definitely obtain a Lidl supermarket are Novi Sad and Valjevo.

The third place belongs to Retail Park in Pancevo. Namely, quietly and without much pomp, the second section of Aviv Park, the first real retail park in Serbia, was opened in late May. Following that opening, investors started to plan the third phase of construction, which should be completed in May 2012.

Once finished, this shopping oasis in Pancevo, worth a total of EUR 28 million, will span 30,000 square meters, and it already offers brands of renowned global and domestic producers.

The fourth-ranked is an investment by France's Mr. Bricolage hypermarket chain, which is described by its owners as "the best friend in home improvement and gardening." After opening a facility in Nis in December 2009 and a store in Novi Sad in June 2010, Mr. Bricolage opened a facility in Belgrade in October 2011, in Vozdovac-based Pasino Brdo Shopping Center, situated at the corner of streets Bacvanska and Gospodara Vucica. This hypermarket, spanning 3,100 square meters, employs 35 people.

Commencement of the construction of a trade and business center by the Israeli company Big was also very interesting to eKapija's readers, which is why it ended in the fifth position. A total of 500 workers from Serbia were hired to build that shopping center. As the investor Big CEE announced earlier to eKapija, investment in that 30,000-square-meter shopping center with about 1,500 parking spaces is expected to reach the value of about EUR 40 million.

The sixth-ranked investment is the expansion of METRO Cash&Carry market chain, which opened a EUR 21 million facility on Ibarska main route in June and then announced the opening of a distribution center in Zrenjanin. The seventh is an investment by Fashion Company, which opened a shopping center in Nis, worth about EUR 25 million. The eighth on this list is a long-announced investment in Plaza Center in Kragujevac, which should be opened the next month.

The ninth place belongs to the arrival of Bauhaus. Although Delta Real Estate and Germany's Bauhaus signed an agreement on the construction of Bauhaus' first retail facility in Serbia - in Block 53 in New Belgrade, aside from a pompous announcement of an investment worth about 25 million euros, no other concrete steps have been taken to date.

The tenth-ranked investment is the first real outlet center in Serbia - Fashion Park Outlet Center in Indjija. What is interesting is that the investor BlackOak Developments decided to invest about EUR 40 million in the construction of that outlet center halfway between Belgrade and Novi Sad.

The eleventh place belongs to Mercator's acquisition of Familija Markets, and it is also speculated that the Slovenian market chain now eyes Jabuka markets as well.

A place on this list is also earned by Roses Otlet Center in Stara Pazova, Idea's takeover of Tus stores in Serbia, opening of Roda facilities in Kraljevo, Mladenovac and Bajina Basta, and Delta Planet at Autokomanda.