Against an uncertain economic backdrop, the 2026 edition brought together market leaders, shone a spotlight on new continents and the strongest-performing asset classes, and showcased a wide selection of retail brands, some making their European debut with ambitious expansion plans.

Paris, 5 November 2026: This year’s edition of MAPIC brought together nearly 3,600 participants, including 1,000 retail brands — 10% more than last year. Reflecting market trends, the 2026 edition once again demonstrated the relevance of MAPIC’s value proposition: providing an audience of industry decision-makers with the largest international platform for leasing retail property, in a compact and efficient format.

Through two intensive days of business meetings, high-level conferences and roundtables, and exclusive networking opportunities in the unrivalled setting of Cannes, the event demonstrated how closely it meets the market’s current needs.

Introduced last year, MAPIC’s new compact format returned again, facilitating connections between professionals, now offers a range of participation packages, including more flexible options that have proved popular with attendees.

The 150 exhibitors this year included major property owners, asset managers and international brokers: AEW, Altarea, Westfield, Klépierre, Carmila, Frey, Redevco, Nhood, Hammerson, Eurocommercial, Pradera, Neinver, Cenomi Centres, Sonae Sierra, Ingka Centres, Triple 5, Landsec, VIA Outlets, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, Colliers, Savills and Newmark.

Against an international backdrop in which retail property performance and investment volumes vary significantly between regions, and the number of development projects is declining, the key challenge for retail real estate professionals today is to create value within existing spaces through redevelopment and extensions, while ensuring that tenant mixes meet consumers’ expectations.

MAPIC continues to play a role in identifying emerging brands, showcasing retailers from around the world each year, including some making their European debut or expanding across the continent. Alongside international brands that regularly attend MAPIC — Uniqlo, Burger King, Flying Tiger Copenhagen, Primark, Aroma-Zone, Nike, New Yorker, Pandora, Zara, Apple, Swarovski, Rituals and Lululemon, among others — luxury brands strengthened their presence this year, with Brunello Cucinelli, Burberry, Boggi Milano, Messika, Moorer, Tapestry, RH Restoration Hardware, Kering, Fusalp and Trussardi.

The MAPIC team’s curation also brought together distinctive brands from further afield, whose appeal is so important in making retail destinations attractive and unique. Asian brands, including highly sought-after Korean concepts, included Pop Mart, Hazzys, Seoul Diner Group, Chungchun Rice Dog, Balabala, Borntostandout, Dairy Queen, Genki Sushi, MUUT, Tups Skin Lounge, O.W.M. and Stand Oil. Meanwhile, brands from North America and Australia, including Bath & Body Works, Dave’s Hot Kitchen, Popeye’s, Wendy’s, Wingstop, Slim Chickens, Chick-fil-A, Lululemon, Arc’teryx, Garage and Anine Bing, demonstrated their interest in the European market.

Leisure operators, which have become major footfall drivers for retail destinations, showcased innovations from Secret Cinema, IMAX, Jumpyard Concepts, Planet Fitness Club, Five Iron Golf, Cosmo, Zero Latency, La Boîte aux Enfants, Fever and DEA Planet Entertainment. They were joined by food and beverage concepts — another essential component of shopping centres — including Ephemera Group, Dunkin, Honest Green, Tea Palace, Boparan and Giraudi Group.

Among the new features this year, several geographical focus sessions also highlighted markets outside Europe, offering insights into differing outlooks and consumer behaviours and providing brands with informed perspectives from local specialists. Sessions dedicated to South Africa and Latin America brought together leading property companies in these markets, including Vukile, an investor also highly active in Europe, Broll Group, Allux and Lady Lee Corporation. Representatives from the Middle East, including Cenomi Centres, Westfield’s partner in the region, Azad Properties and Majid Al Futtaim, stressed the importance of brands understanding the Middle East as a collection of distinct local markets. India was presented as a market at a tipping point for European brands, offering significant opportunities provided they select local partners carefully and adapt their offer while retaining their identity.

Retail parks and city-centre retail continue to attract strong investor interest, and both received dedicated attention this year. A new high street zone connected city representatives, specialist high street agents and retailers. On stage, a programme of presentations dedicated to major European cities, organised in partnership with Cushman & Wakefield, provided an overview of Europe’s leading shopping streets, their rental values and the brands that have recently entered these markets.

A new Retail Parks Forum, organised in partnership with Accessite, brought together owners, managers and retailers operating in this market. Discussions highlighted the appeal of this asset class to retailers, thanks to the format’s flexibility and affordability, as well as to the many property owners in attendance, including Redevco, Pradera, M Core, AEW, FREY and Compagnie de Phalsbourg. Experts explained that, although retail parks are currently attractive because of the stable income they generate, they should neither be regarded as straightforward to manage nor turned into shopping centres, which would risk undermining the model’s distinctive qualities.

As in previous years, the conference and roundtable programme brought together leading international speakers to explore the changing retail landscape.

With the US midterm elections commanding attention, Simon French, Chief Economist and Head of Research at Panmure Liberum, highlighted the resilience of consumers, who continue to save against a backdrop of considerable economic uncertainty and inflationary pressures. He also urged caution on artificial intelligence, which will help reduce production costs but raises concerns about intellectual property and its impact on local economies and town centres.

During her presentation, Laure Kruithoff, Retail Director at Aroma-Zone, outlined the keys to the brand’s success in beauty and wellbeing, one of today’s most dynamic sectors: an integrated model built around a powerful digital community, local sourcing and local production capabilities. These strengths, supported by partnerships with property owners, are enabling the brand to target a doubling of its store network by 2028.

For Vincent Rouget, CEO of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, retail today is fundamentally about creating memorable moments for consumers within destinations that have become integral parts of the urban fabric. These places are shared by communities that have grown organically around them, feel a strong attachment to them and play a central role in their success. Vincent Rouget outlined the group’s strategy to drive organic growth across its premium portfolio through investment in customer experience, retail media and data management. Alongside this, the international franchise model launched with Cenomi Centres in Saudi Arabia will soon expand through a new partner in Thailand, before exploring further markets.

“We are delighted with this year’s edition, which participants have described as rich in productive meetings and opportunities to discover new brands. Every year, our ambition is to provide industry professionals with an environment that supports business meetings, while also acting as a curator, seeking out new brands around the world that could become important players in tomorrow’s retail destinations. Retailers now account for more than 40% of MAPIC participants, which is what gives this unique event its strength,” said Francesco Pupillo, Director of MAPIC.

MAPIC will return next year on 3 and 4 November 2027 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.