During the Annual General Meeting held last April 18^th, shareholders appointed the Board of Directors which will be in office for the next three years and provided IGD with a new governance structure designed to adequately guide and support the Company during the challenges that lie ahead.

Now that the fear that shopping centers would not recover after Covid has been eliminated, different signals are emerging from various sources indicating a newfound interest in this type of asset, in part because of its ability to offer more attractive returns than other real estate segments. We spoke about this with Roberto Zoia, IGD’s Director of Asset, Development and Network Management, as well as Chairman of the Consiglio Nazionale dei Centri Commerciali, (CNCC) who has always been a firm believer that shopping centers can continue to play a key role, even in light of the new consumer trends seen in the post-pandemic phase.

Thanks to the successful exchange and consent solicitation transaction, launched last 5 October in order to refinance the €400 million bond maturing in November 2024, IGD can now focus on optimizing operational and financial management.

Due to the heavy rain that struck the Emilia-Romagna region mid-May, 21 rivers overflowed and 37 municipalities were flooded. Extreme weather, and floods specifically, were risks that were clearly mapped and, therefore, monitored carefully as part of IGD’s Enterprise Risk Management system. That is why the shopping centers struck by the floods had safety measures and emergency plans in place which were implemented immediately making it possible to protect the health and safety of both shoppers and tenants, as well as limit damages to the properties which were, however, covered by insurance policies. We spoke with Roberto Zoia, IGD’s Director of Asset Management, Development and Network Management, about it.

IGD successfully completed a profound repositioning of the retail offering at two of the Group’s important freehold centers in Italy: Puntadiferro in Forlì and Tiburtino in Guidonia, on the outskirts of Rome.

During an interview with IGD SIIQ SPA’s Laura Poggi, Director of Commercial Department, Marketing and CSR and Francesco Soldi, Head of Marketing and Head of Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility, they answered our questions about their experiences with these two projects.

Let’s take a closer look at the issues affecting the valuations of the property portfolio by asking Roberto Zoia, IGD SIIQ SPA’s Director of Asset Management, Development and Network Management, a few questions.

On 27 October IGD presented the requalification work underway at Officine Storiche to the mayor of Livorno, the Town Council and the press during an Open Day that the Company management felt strongly about organizing. “It is only by being very open with the local authorities and public that we will be able to proceed with this ambitious project that is transforming Livorno’s waterfront, as we will be able to count on an active, well-informed collaborative environment”: Roberto Zoia, IGD SIIQ SpA’s Director of Asset Management, Development and Network Management, explained to us.

The re-openings have helped retailers return to pre-pandemic sales, but have also revealed new consumer trends. While it’s clear that the shopping center has regained its role, with online sales back to more typical levels, a few new trends are taking shape with respect to certain types of consumption. High inflation, digital technologies and the persistence of smart working are, in fact, causing profound changes in shopping frequency and the choices of goods and services purchased inside shopping centers.

Let’s find out more about these issues by asking Roberto Zoia, IGD SIIQ SPA’s Director of Asset Management, Development and Network Management, a few questions.

The pandemic, and its impact in terms of closures, restrictions and uncertain cash flows, caused IGD to focus its outlays on investments that could not be deferred. The choice was the right one. Today, as it can count on an improved financial balance, IGD is resuming the work called for in the pipeline, albeit while maintaining a very selective approach and paying careful attention to the cost of materials, in light of the challenging market environment.

Let’s learn more about these topics by asking IGD SIIQ SPA’s Director of Asset Management, Development and Network Management, Roberto Zoia, a few questions.

On 14 December 2021, IGD presented the new three-year Business Plan 2022-2024. Even though the targets are ambitious, with the name “Mission… possible”, IGD’s management wanted to express its confidence in the ability to reach them. Let’s ask IGD’s Director of Planning, Control and IR, Raffaele Nardi, a few questions in order to understand the direction that this new Plan will take the strategy and development of the Company.