“Kommersant”: 14 shopping center “Mega” can be bought by the structure of Gazprombank

The structure of Gazprombank is bidding to purchase Mega shopping centers in Russia from the Swedish Ingka Centers. About it writes “Kommersant” with reference to two sources in the real estate market.

The interlocutors admitted that the parties could already reach some agreements. Ingka Centers told the newspaper that the company is considering various options for the Mega shopping center. Gazprombank did not respond to the publication’s request.

In Russia, Ingka owns 14 Mega shopping centers, their total area is 2.3 million square meters. m. According to the President of the Russian Guild of Managing Developers, Alexander Sharapov, the cost of Mega shopping centers can reach $2.85 billion without discounting. He did not rule out that the deal could also include a buyback option.

Ingka Group also owns IKEA home furnishings stores. Amid the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, IKEA suspended store operations, and at the beginning of 2023, it sold three factories in Russia to Slotex, a specialist in kitchen countertops and facades, as well as to lumber manufacturer Luzales.

In February 2023 RBC found outthat Ingka Group has begun searching for buyers for more than 2 million square meters. m of the company’s real estate in Russia. The names of the two potential buyers were not disclosed at the time. General Director of Infoline Analytics Mikhail Burmistrov estimated the value of the Swedish company’s entire real estate portfolio to be no less than $5 billion. Taking into account all discounts, the transaction amount could be $2.5-3 billion, he noted.

Vedomosti at the end of July wrotethat Ingka Centers sold the Khimki Business Park office complex (42,000 sq. m), located on the street. Leningradskaya in Khimki, where the company’s headquarters were located. The new owner of 100% shares was the KLS-Khimki company