The AECC Awards recognise projects, actions, services and solutions that stand out for their innovation, ESG criteria or contribution to the development of shopping centres and retail parks in Spain.
This year’s event was presided over by José Enrique Alvar Lomas, Head of Real Estate at MediaMarkt Spain. 101 entries had been received for the categories of Sustainability, Marketing and Communication, Retailers, and Shopping Centres and Retail Parks.
The Parque Corredor transformation project, located in Torrejón de Ardoz, received the award for Best Major Transformation. The project was a comprehensive refurbishment of the centre with a total investment of 88 million Euros. It was developed by the Community of Owners through the joint venture Redevco Iberian Partners and managed by Cushman & Wakefield. The project was carried out in several phases between 2019 and 2024 under the direction of Chapman Taylor for the design, and EunoE3 Arquitectos for the project implementation. The refurbishment encompassed both indoor spaces and the communal areas, creating a new architectural image, which is brighter and more accessible, and included making energy efficiency improvements. 95% of the premises underwent refurbishment.
The Gran Vía de Vigo shopping centre, owned by HLRE Socimi, was also recognised for its comprehensive refurbishment project. The main new features include a more intuitive car park, new rest areas, greater natural light, as well as the opening of a premium cinema, a state-of-the-art gym, an updated food court and an expanded retail offering.
Restaurantes Chalito (Chalito Group) were recognised as Best Restaurant Concept. The chain already has 21 outlets, its own food preparation facilities and 300 employees. The Best Leisure Concept Award went to Cine Yelmo Premium Westfield La Maquinista. The complex features several types of auditorium and has created a pioneering food and drink offering for the world of cinema.
Herbolario Navarro was named Best New Brand Addition to a Shopping Centre or Retail Park. The chain opened six new stores in shopping centres in 2024 and 2025, offering a service based on expert advice and personalised support.
The Best Chain, Franchise or Independent Retailer was MediaMarkt. With 112 stores and nearly 7,000 professionals, the firm has redesigned its customer experience with new store concepts such as Core, Lighthouse, Xpress and Smart. The Core model in Burgos stands out as a benchmark for customer service.
Castellana Properties' initiative ‘Más que puntos’ (More than points) was awarded Best Digital Innovation / Strategy Action. One of the excellent new features of this programme is the possibility to accumulate points by registering receipts of purchase in shopping centre stores.
The jury chose La Gira de Titirimundi (The Titirimundi Tour) at Arturo Soria Plaza (Merlin Properties) as Best Small-Scale Marketing Campaign. This was an official extension of Titirimundi, the prestigious International Puppet Theatre Festival in Segovia, with its 39 years of history.
The Best Large-Scale Marketing Campaign was The House of Madness at La Farga (Agencia Fandom), which transformed the shopping centre into a world full of monsters, mad scientists, cryptozoological animals, adversities and, of course, zombies.
The Best Action for Sustainability and Environmental Impact was Green Revolution, at Plaza Norte 2 (SCEE Group). The centre managed to reduce its energy consumption by more than 60%, obtaining an A-rating for energy efficiency.
For its part, RÍO Academy (from RÍO Shopping / Ingka Centres Spain) was awarded Best Action for Social Responsibility and Impact on the Local Community. The initiative seeks to promote the inclusion of vulnerable people in the employment market through specialised training and direct connection to real employment opportunities.
Finally, Valor de ser Cero (Merlin Properties) was named Best Implementation of a Corporate ESG Strategy. One of the milestones achieved by the SOCIMI is to be the first shopping centre company to be certified ‘zero waste’.
The AECC Executive Committee also awarded two freely-designated awards. On one hand, the Jos Galán Award went to Simon Orchard, former CEO of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Spain, in recognition of his professional career and his contribution to the growth of the sector. On the other hand, the Award for the Shopping Centre with an Outstanding Track Record was given to Westfield La Maquinista.