Apsys Polska triumphs at the 15th PRCH Retail Awards gala and wins as many as 14 awards

4 gold, 9 silver and one special award were the prizes won by Apsys Polska this year at the 15th anniversary edition of the most important competition in the retail industry organised by the Polish Council of Shopping Centres. This year, Apsys was recognised both as an organisation with original projects and as a manager acting on behalf of retail property owners.

The PRCH Retail Awards is the only competition of its kind in the industry, which annually showcases the best projects implemented in retail facilities, both in business-strategic and marketing categories.

The awards recognise both programmes implemented by Apsys across its portfolio and

as well as initiatives dedicated to individual facilities. Manufaktura Łódź, owned by Union Investment, won the most statuettes, as many as 7, including two gold and a special award. The gold in the category ‘Marketing manager/director of the year of a retail facility’ went to Monika Długosz-Łempicka from Manufaktura. This is recognition for her exceptional achievements in 2023, in managing the marketing of one of the most recognisable retail facilities in Poland and her contribution to the realisation of Apsys Poland’s vision – to create places that inspire, integrate and pulse with life.

The competition jury has twice – with a gold award in the category ‘The biggest challenge in marketing’ and a special award – recognised the idea of communicating the roadworks carried out near Manufaktura, which had a significant impact on access to the centre. Instead of avoiding the subject of the obstructions, Manufaktura turned it into a humorous campaign that engaged and entertained customers. Manufaktura also received four silver awards – including three for marketing activities and one for business activities. The jury appreciated the long-term pro-sales campaign ‘Manufaktura na talerzu’ supporting and promoting restaurants operating in the Manufaktura market. Another award went to the image campaign ‘600 paintings for 600 years of Łódź’. This was a technically, logistically and organisationally challenging project involving artists from all over the world. The last silver award in the marketing category went to Manufaktura for the project Koncertowe 600-lecie. The Concert Stage of the Łódź Summer Festival in Manufaktura, organised on the occasion of Łódź’s 600th birthday, was one of the

one of the largest outdoor events in Manufaktura’s history, and the festival itself was also one of the largest music events in the country in 2023. Manufaktura Łódź also received a silver award in the business category for its achievements in implementing the ESG strategy. A

Exceptional approach

In the business category ‘Retail Solutions’, the gold statuette was awarded to Apsys Polska’s proprietary programme At Your Service, and in the marketing category ‘B2B – Activities for Tenants’, the gold went to Apsys for its Better2gether programme. At Your Service is Apsys Polska’s proprietary programme aimed at providing the highest quality of service to customers, providing them with a unique experience and consequently building their loyalty.

The Better2gether programme, in turn, provides real support for tenants. It is flexible and adaptable to different properties. The programme’s catalogue of carefully selected and developed best practices is reviewed annually and the effects systematically measured.

– The awards that our proprietary programmes have received are a source of pride for us. Both projects reflect our comprehensive, needs-focused approach to shopping centre management – both for customers and employees of retail facilities. The At Your Service programme, which examines the level of service offered by shopping centres, enables us to continually improve the quality of service and offer more facilities to customers, enabling them to stand out from the competition. Better2gether, on the other hand, is an initiative focused on building partnerships

and cooperation with tenants, which translates into real benefits for the entire portfolio of our shopping centres. Recognition in the form of awards for the most innovative

and successful projects on the market is confirmation that the many years of work on these projects are yielding concrete results. It is also a great motivation for us to further raise the standards of shopping centre management and consistently introduce solutions that have a real impact on the customer experience and the business success of tenants,’ says Justyna Kur, Head of Property and Rental Department/Vice-president of Apsys Polska.

Diversity and efficiency

Once again, Apsys proved its ability to go beyond the usual standards in the industry by winning three awards that recognised the diversity and effectiveness of its marketing solutions. The silver award for Posnania in the ‘Image Campaign of the Year’ category was given for the ‘Icons of Posnania’ project. – a comprehensive communication strategy that made use of local symbols and iconic places of Poznan, creating an original language that emphasised the iconic nature of the gallery and its relationship with the city. Posnania won another silver in the ‘Social Media Activities of the Year’ category for its ‘Food Fyrtel: Food, Friends and Fun’ project. Through this initiative, the centre created a unique social media space, promoting the offer in a fresh, engaging way that is tailored to contemporary expectations. The silver award also went to Galeria Katowicka, which is owned by the large institutional fund KWSP/EPF and for which asset management is the responsibility of Savills Investment Management, for its jubilee project ‘Boisterously we shake the cash!’ honoured in the ‘Event of the year’ category. This project, carried out on the occasion of the gallery’s 10th anniversary, highlighted not only the success of the facility, but also Apsys Poland’s ability to organise engaging projects and effectively build relationships with customers.

Innovation and sustainability

Janki Centre, managed by Apsys Polska, was honoured with two silver awards – one each in the marketing and business categories. The award, in the category ‘Redevelopment/expansion/modernisation of a retail facility’, was awarded jointly to Cromwell Property Group, Star Capital Finance and Apsys Polska for their comprehensive modernisation efforts to not only upgrade the facility, but also to make it better suited to the changing needs of the local community and the retail property market. The award, in the ‘ESG Communication of the Year’ category, was given for the implementation of the ‘We’re good in green’ campaign. This initiative promoted Janka Centre’s environmental activities and was an excellent example of how to combine the promotion of ESG activities with building environmental awareness among the local community.

– In all our activities, including the projects in the broader marketing field appreciated by the jury, we remain true to our philosophy of changing cities and the lives of their inhabitants for the better. We are proud of these accolades and grateful to the owners of the managed facilities for trusting us to bring our ideas to life. I am particularly proud of the team of professionals I have the privilege of working with every day – not just those behind the award-winning projects, but all those who contribute to Apsys’ successes. Quality is a priority for us, and the fact that the industry appreciates our efforts is the greatest confirmation that we are heading in the right direction,’ concludes Agnieszka Tomczak-Tuzinska, Marketing Director Apsys Polska.