Bouwinvest’s Dutch Retail Fund Trumps IPD Annual Property Index in 2014

Bouwinvest’s Dutch Retail Fund outpaced the IPD Netherlands Annual Property Index in 2014 with an average total investment return of 2.7%, compared with 2.0% for the benchmark. The Retail Fund also beat IPD’s Dutch market multi-year averages with a total return of 5.3% for three years and 6.3% for five years, versus 2.6% and 4.5% respectively for the index.

Colin Boelhouwer, Bouwinvest Head of Asset Management Retail said: “These very solid results for the Retail Fund reflect our success in implementing Bouwinvest’s investment strategy. This has two key strands: targeting prime High Street locations in the largest cities in the Netherlands, where there is a vibrant and dynamic environment beyond the retail offering, and also accessible shopping centres that consumers use for their convenience purchases.”

Last year was a very active one for the fund with a large part of its disposals programme implemented. The development of new shopping centres on Amsterdam’s Stadionplein and in Ede’s Kernhem area were also started in 2014 and 8,000 sqm of retail property was acquired in Rotterdam city centre. This year’s portfolio activity will be crowned by the delivery of the flagship retail development on Amsterdam’s gateway Damrak shopping thoroughfare, which is scheduled towards the end of 2015. Together these investments will underpin stable income returns for the Retail Fund for many years to come.