The Bursa Anatolium Shopping Center in Turkey, which is fully-owned by Dutch listed retail specialist Corio, opened this month with a 90% occupancy rate, according to a press release issued by the developer Maya. Corio acquired the 84,000 m[sup]2[/sup] mall in July for EUR 176 mln.

The Bursa Anatolium Shopping Center in Turkey, which is fully-owned by Dutch listed retail specialist Corio, opened this month with a 90% occupancy rate, according to a press release issued by the developer Maya. Corio acquired the 84,000 m2 mall in July for EUR 176 mln.

Besides anchor tenant IKEA, Carrefour, Leroy Merlin and Media Markt are among the leading brands at the Bursa mall. The Anatolium Shopping Center also has a parking area with capacity for 2,500 cars.

Anatolium Shopping Center has a catchment area of 1.8 million people living within a 15-minute drive and another 2.3 million people living within a 45-minute drive. Bursa is Turkey's fourth biggest city and a leading centre of the automotive, food and textile industries.

Commenting on the opening, Corio Turkey CEO Koray Ozgul said: 'Anatolium Shopping Center will be a significant player, not only in Bursa but also in Marmora region thanks to its very strong leader tenants, original and cozy atmosphere and its size that will attract customers from a large region like a magnet.'

The centre will create 15,000 new jobs within the next five years, he predicted.

Corio announced the decision to buy the shopping centre in November 2007. The Dutch company entered the Turkish market in 2005 and has an office in Istanbul. Shopping centers account for 95% of its EUR 7 bn portfolio which also includes assets in France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. In Turkey, it acquired a 46.92% stake in Akmerkez in 2005. It also owns 100% of Ada, 365, Tekira shopping centers and 51% of Teras Park Outlet. With the addition of the Malatya and Tarsu Shopping Centers, which are currently under development, the number of projects in its Turkish portfolio comes to eight.

Istanbul-based Maya was established in 1950 and is active in residential development, shopping centres, construction and textiles. Maya Holding has a development mandate for IKEA in Turkey and has already opened four IKEA stores in the country, two of which are located in Istanbul.