Bero-Zentrum Oberhausen

The Bero-Zentrum Oberhausen (stylized as BERO) is a shopping center located on Concordiastraße in the city center of Oberhausen, Germany. Opened on 1 April 1971 on the site of the former Zeche Concordia coal mine, it was the first enclosed shopping center in the Ruhr region and is among the oldest in Germany. The center was officially inaugurated on 14 October 1971. Its name is derived from "Betriebe Erich Rothenfußer," after its founder, though some sources suggest it combines the initials of investors Werner Bensch and Erich Rothenfußer. Originally planned for Munich, the center became a retail anchor in Oberhausen. With a sales area of approximately 44,000 m², BERO hosts around 80 shops and service providers, including anchor tenants Kaufland, Aldi Süd, and Medimax. It serves roughly 17,000 customers daily. The center offers a mix of retail, gastronomy, fashion, food, medical practices, and services. Amenities include free parking for 1,300 cars, free Wi-Fi, e-charging stations, baby changing rooms, barrier-free toilets, and a taxi stand. It is well-connected by public transport, with nearby bus and tram stops (SB 91/93/94/97/98, 935/936/939/955/961/995) and motorways A3, A40, and A42. Ownership has changed over the years. Since 2011, the center has been owned by a consortium of South African investors, including the fund company Zenprop. In 2016, Kintyre Investments GmbH restructured the long-term financing on behalf of the owners. A major modernization and expansion from 2013 to 2015 increased the area by 16,000 m² to 44,000 m², with an investment of 40 million euros. The expansion was partly controversial due to concerns about rising rents and retailer migration. To differentiate from the nearby Centro, BERO positioned itself as a local supplier with a specialist store row, focusing on food and services rather than textiles. In 2019, it was reported that the food court created during the expansion remained largely empty. Today, BERO continues to operate as a key retail destination in Oberhausen, hosting regular events such as flea markets and children's flea markets, and offering gift vouchers redeemable in all stores. It remains a privately held entity under its investor consortium.

The Bero-Zentrum Oberhausen was opened on 1 April 1971 on the site of the former Zeche Concordia coal mine, and was officially inaugurated on 14 October 1971. It was the first enclosed shopping center in the Ruhr region and is one of the oldest in Germany. The name Bero stands for "Betriebe Erich Rothenfußer," after its founder, though another source states it was named after the initials of the two investors Werner Bensch and Erich Rothenfußer. The shopping center was originally intended to be built in Munich. Among the first visitor magnets was the retailer Allkauf (today Kaufland). In 1972, the garden center "Flora" was added. After a small fire in 1974 and a major fire in 1983, the Bero was renovated. Until 2006, the children's and toy specialty store Bonniland was one of the largest anchor tenants of the Bero-Zentrum. In a protruding building with a round roof, the Rollerdrome, a roller-skating disco, was housed from 1981 to 1984. The Bero Zentrum is owned by a number of South African investors, including the fund company Zenprop, which acquired the shopping center together in 2011. The asset manager Kintyre Investments GmbH from Frankfurt am Main restructured the long-term financing for the BERO-Zentrum Oberhausen on behalf of the owners in 2016. In 2013, work began on modernizing and enlarging the shopping center by 16,000 m² to 44,000 m². The topping-out ceremony was on 13 May 2014, and final completion on 26 September 2015. The investment sum of the owner consortium was 40 million euros. The expansion was partly controversial. There were concerns about further rising shop rents that could lead to the migration of retailers. To differentiate from the Centro, the Bero was positioned as a local supplier with a specialist store row and a lot of food and rather low textile share and medical practices. In 2019, it was reported that the food court created as part of the expansion of the Bero was largely empty. The largest tenants by shop area of the Bero Zentrum are Kaufland, Aldi Süd, and Medimax. In addition, there are around 80 shops in the Bero for short- and longer-term needs.

• Bero-Zentrum opened on the site of the former Zeche Concordia coal mine.

• Official inauguration of the shopping center.

• Garden center "Flora" added.

• Small fire; subsequent renovation.

• Rollerdrome roller-skating disco housed in a protruding building with a round roof.

• Major fire; subsequent renovation.

• Bonniland children's and toy specialty store, one of the largest anchor tenants, ceased to be part of the center.

• Acquired by a consortium of South African investors, including Zenprop.

• Start of modernization and expansion by 16,000 m² to 44,000 m².

• Topping-out ceremony for the expansion.

• Final completion of the expansion; investment of 40 million euros.

• Kintyre Investments GmbH restructured long-term financing on behalf of owners.

• Reported that the food court created during expansion was largely empty.

Local supplier with a specialist store row, focusing on food and services rather than textiles, differentiated from the nearby Centro.

• Kaufland

• Aldi Süd

• Medimax

• Food court

• Gift vouchers

1. 1Startseite - BERObero.de
2. 2Service & Kontakt - BERObero.de
3. 3Bero-Zentrum Oberhausen - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Bero-Zentrum Oberhausen - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org