Veranda Mall
A neighborhood-oriented shopping and leisure center in Bucharest’s Obor district.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Veranda Mall is a shopping and leisure center in Bucharest, Romania, located on Ziduri Moși Street near Obor metro station. It was inaugurated on October 27, 2016, on a former industrial site previously occupied by the Prodplast plastic factory. The project was developed by Professional Imo Partners SA, formerly known as Prodplast Imobiliare S.A., and was described as an approximately €60 million investment. Ownership is associated with the Pogonaru family. The center was conceived as a proximity shopping mall serving the established neighborhoods around Obor, including Obor, Colentina, Ștefan cel Mare, and Moșilor. Rather than presenting itself solely as a destination retail complex, Veranda Mall has emphasized its connection with local daily life, public transport, neighborhood traditions, community services, and accessible shopping. Its location is approximately 500 meters from Obor metro station and is served by numerous tram, bus, and trolleybus routes. The mall has approximately 30,000 square meters of floor space across five levels. Its tenant mix combines a large Carrefour hypermarket with fashion, footwear, beauty, home, electronics, sports, health, telecommunications, food-service, and convenience retailers. Major commercial anchors and recognizable tenants have included Carrefour, H&M, Decathlon, C&A, CCC, Deichmann, Altex, and a range of Romanian and international food and beverage operators. The complex also provides banking, postal, health, tailoring, dry-cleaning, public-administration, and other neighborhood-oriented services. A defining element of the development is its emphasis on open and green areas in a district historically associated with industrial buildings and dense urban traffic. The property includes approximately 15,000 square meters of green space, including a park and playground areas. Its name refers to the idea of a veranda as a transitional, breathable space, reflecting the owners’ aim to create a source of relief and community activity within a crowded urban environment. The center expanded from late 2019 through an investment reported at approximately €10 million. The expansion added more than 6,000 square meters and included the arrival of Cinemax, which opened its first Romanian multiplex at the mall, as well as a Decathlon store described as the first of its kind in central Bucharest and a World Class Romania gym. The Cinemax facility opened on December 27, 2019, with 12 screens, 1,078 seats, a restaurant and terrace, laser projection, 4K capability, Dolby Atmos sound, and VIP rooms. The expansion brought reported occupancy to approximately 96 percent. Veranda Mall has also experimented with nontraditional retail and communication initiatives. In June 2020, during the COVID-19 period when Romanian shopping centers faced closures and restrictions, it launched Veranda Mall Online, a digital marketplace intended to help participating tenants sell products online. The platform was developed with VTEX, used PayU for online payments, and relied on Poșta Panduri for deliveries. Participating retailers at launch included Miniso, Tabor, English Home, Meli Melo, Bizarr, and Senior Tailor. Its marketing has frequently drawn on the cultural identity of Obor. The Obor Lifestyle communication platform promoted local places, habits, and visual references, while projects such as Portraits from the Neighborhood presented artistic interpretations of the district. The Mici Grill Instagram augmented-reality campaign adapted the Romanian May Day tradition of eating mici to social-distancing conditions during the 2020 lockdown. The campaign reportedly gained more than 10 million Instagram views, reached users outside Romania, and received second place in the Best Use of Instagram category at the 2020 Webstock Awards. In October 2020, the mall introduced a capsule clothing collection inspired by Obor, designed in collaboration with Tammy Lovin and mysimplicated and presented by Romanian virtual influencer Ana Tobor. Veranda Mall’s broader offer includes a Cinemax multiplex, a VR Cinema, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, seasonal skating, restaurants and cafés, a 1,200-space parking facility, and recurring family and community events. Its business identity is therefore built around a hybrid model: everyday neighborhood retail combined with food, entertainment, public services, green space, and place-based cultural branding.
History
Veranda Mall was developed on land formerly occupied by the Prodplast plastic factory in Bucharest’s Obor area. The factory was first moved to another industrial platform and later relocated outside Bucharest to Buftea, allowing the former industrial property to be redeveloped as a mixed retail and leisure destination. Professional Imo Partners SA, previously known as Prodplast Imobiliare S.A., developed the project. The mall opened on October 27, 2016, following a reported investment of approximately €60 million. It was planned as a proximity shopping center for the densely populated neighborhoods around Obor rather than as a purely regional destination. Its location near Obor metro station and multiple surface-transit routes supported this positioning. The project was designed by Chapman Taylor, a British architecture practice known for urban regeneration and retail developments. The architectural concept sought to introduce modern retail facilities and substantial greenery into an area characterized by dense traffic and former industrial structures. Veranda Mall was built over five levels and incorporated approximately 15,000 square meters of green space, including a park and playground areas. The name was chosen to convey the idea of a fresh-air buffer within a crowded city district. The center’s approximately 30,000 square meters of floor space accommodated a Carrefour hypermarket, fashion and footwear retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues, services, and community facilities. The mall developed a relationship with the surrounding neighborhood through more than conventional retail tenancy. In November 2017, it opened a Sector 2 public office for population records and civil-status services. This office was later moved to a larger space in March 2020. A Romanian Post office also opened within the center during the broader expansion period. In 2017, the mall made its private parking available to local residents during a forecast snowstorm, illustrating its effort to function as a neighborhood facility. From late 2019, Veranda Mall undertook a major expansion backed by a reported €10 million investment. The project added more than 6,000 square meters, increased the reported occupancy rate to 96 percent, and broadened the center’s entertainment, sports and shopping offer. Cinemax opened its first Romanian multiplex at the property on December 27, 2019. The 12-screen venue included 1,078 seats, a 2,700-square-meter footprint, Dolby Atmos sound, laser and 4K projection, VIP rooms, a restaurant and a children’s cinema area. The expansion also brought a Decathlon store described as the first Decathlon location in central Bucharest and a World Class Romania gym. Entertainment facilities had already been part of the mall’s development. In June 2017, Veranda Mall opened a VR Cinema described as the first in Romania and the second of its type in Europe at the time. The attraction offered short themed virtual-reality programs covering subjects such as documentaries, comedy, travel and science fiction. Seasonal and family-oriented facilities included indoor and outdoor playgrounds and an outdoor skating rink serving the Obor area during the cold season. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a significant operational response. In June 2020, while shopping centers in Romania were affected by closure measures, Veranda Mall launched Veranda Mall Online, an e-commerce platform designed to let tenants offer products digitally. VTEX supported the platform’s development, PayU handled online payments, and Poșta Panduri was associated with deliveries. The initiative included retailers such as Miniso, Tabor, English Home, Meli Melo, Bizarr and Senior Tailor. The mall also supported the Cumpărături la Ușa Ta civic initiative, through which volunteers helped vulnerable residents obtain food and sanitary products during lockdown conditions. Veranda Mall’s communications strategy has consistently linked the property to Obor’s identity. In 2019, it introduced the Obor Lifestyle platform, using local imagery and neighborhood traditions in retail communication. A fall-winter fashion campaign photographed collections in Obor Market and other local landmarks, and one campaign poster was displayed in Seoul’s Gangnam Square. The Portraits from the Neighborhood project, created with Asociația Antistatic, presented artistic works about the district’s habits and character. In 2020, the Mici Grill Instagram augmented-reality filter translated the local association between Obor and mici into a digital campaign promoting socially responsible Labour Day celebrations. It reportedly reached more than 10 million Instagram views and received second place in Webstock’s Best Use of Instagram category. In October of the same year, the mall launched a capsule fashion collection inspired by Obor. The athleisure collection used motifs drawn from the market and shopping center, with design work by Tammy Lovin in collaboration with mysimplicated and Ana Tobor serving as the campaign face. Veranda Mall has also received recognition for its communications and pandemic-era business adaptation. Reported 2020 distinctions included a European Search Awards recognition for Best Local Campaign, a Webstock award placement for Instagram use, and a Retail Updated recognition for rapid business-model adjustment. The available reference material does not establish a later ownership change, listing status, or named executive roster.
- 2020
Veranda Mall Online launches
[1]The mall introduces an online platform to support tenant sales during pandemic-related shopping-center restrictions.
- 2020
Obor-inspired capsule collection launches
[1]Veranda Mall introduces an athleisure capsule collection using visual references from Obor Market and the mall.
- 2019
Obor Lifestyle platform launches
[1]The mall establishes a communication platform centered on the history, visual culture and everyday identity of the Obor district.
- 2019
Expansion begins
[1]A major expansion supported by a reported €10 million investment adds more than 6,000 square meters and new retail, fitness and entertainment facilities.
- 2019
Cinemax opens its first Romanian multiplex
[1]Cinemax opens a 12-screen, 1,078-seat multiplex at Veranda Mall on December 27.
- 2017
VR Cinema opens
[1]Veranda Mall introduces a virtual-reality cinema described in the reference material as Romania’s first and Europe’s second of its kind at the time.
- 2017
Sector 2 population-services office opens
[1]A public office for population records and civil-status services begins operating inside the shopping center.
- 2016
Veranda Mall opens
[1]The shopping center is inaugurated on October 27 on the former Prodplast factory site in Bucharest’s Obor neighborhood.
Products and positioning
A neighborhood-oriented urban shopping center combining everyday retail, leisure, public services, green space, and cultural programming connected to Bucharest’s Obor district.
Grocery retail anchor · 2016
Carrefour hypermarket
Carrefour is the mall’s principal grocery anchor, with approximately 10,000 square meters of space. Its presence supports Veranda Mall’s proximity-center role by providing routine food and household shopping alongside discretionary retail and entertainment.
Fashion retail · 2016
Fashion and footwear retail
The mall’s fashion offer includes international and Romanian apparel, footwear and accessory retailers. Referenced tenants include H&M, C&A, LC Waikiki, CCC, Deichmann, Benvenuti, Salamander, Penti, Triumph, Tabor, Meli Melo and other specialist stores.
Cinema and entertainment · 2019
Cinemax Veranda
Cinemax Veranda is a 12-screen multiplex opened on December 27, 2019. The venue has approximately 1,078 seats and includes a restaurant, terrace, VIP rooms, Dolby Atmos sound, laser and 4K projection, and a child-oriented cinema space with a play area.
Virtual reality entertainment · 2017
VR Cinema
The VR Cinema opened in June 2017 and offered approximately 30-minute virtual-reality programs grouped around documentary, comedy, travel and science-fiction themes. The reference material describes it as an early Romanian and European example of the format.
E-commerce platform · 2020
Veranda Mall Online
Veranda Mall Online was introduced in June 2020 as a digital sales channel for mall tenants during COVID-19 restrictions. The platform used VTEX technology, PayU payments and delivery support associated with Poșta Panduri.
Leisure facilities · 2016
Green space, playgrounds and seasonal skating
The property includes approximately 15,000 square meters of green space, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, and a seasonal outdoor skating rink of approximately 600 square meters. These facilities reinforce the mall’s positioning as a local social and leisure space.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Mici Grill
Romania · International social-media audience
An Instagram augmented-reality filter inspired by Obor’s well-known mici grilling culture. Released around Labour Day, it encouraged people to celebrate responsibly and respect COVID-19 social-distancing rules.
Outcome. The filter reportedly generated more than 10 million Instagram views, reached users in Germany, Russia and Ukraine, and placed second in Best Use of Instagram at the 2020 Webstock Awards.
- 2020Obor-inspired capsule collection
Romania
A capsule clothing line featuring dresses, trousers, jackets, shirts and hoodies in an athleisure style, with graphics based on real elements from Obor Market and Veranda Mall. It was designed by Tammy Lovin with mysimplicated, with Ana Tobor as the campaign face.
Outcome. The initiative presented the mall as a participant in Obor’s multicultural identity and was described as the first capsule collection launched by a Romanian shopping mall.
- 2019Obor Lifestyle
Romania
A place-based communication platform that used Obor’s history, local habits and visual culture to connect the mall with its surrounding neighborhood. Related fashion imagery was photographed at Obor Market and other local landmarks.
Outcome. The platform became a recurring identity for the mall and was associated with local-campaign recognition.
- 2019Portraits from the Neighborhood
Romania
A collaboration with Asociația Antistatic presenting artistic works about Obor’s distinctive habits, character and everyday life. The works were displayed at Veranda Mall toward the end of 2019.
Outcome. The project extended the mall’s neighborhood positioning into cultural programming.
Brand decisions
2020
Launch a tenant-support e-commerce platformStrategyBackground
Romanian shopping centers were affected by COVID-19 closure and access restrictions, limiting tenants’ ability to sell through physical stores.
Action taken
The mall launched Veranda Mall Online, integrating participating tenants into a digital storefront with VTEX technology, PayU payments and delivery support from Poșta Panduri.
Aftermath
The initiative allowed selected retailers to continue presenting and selling products online during the pandemic period.
2020
Support vulnerable residents during lockdownStrategyBackground
Movement restrictions and health risks created difficulties for older people, people with mobility limitations and other exposed groups obtaining food and sanitary products.
Action taken
Veranda Mall joined the Cumpărături la Ușa Ta civic initiative, supporting volunteer-assisted delivery of essential goods to people who could not safely shop in person.
Aftermath
The initiative reinforced the center’s community-service positioning during the pandemic.
2019
Expand the mall with new retail, fitness and entertainment spaceOtherBackground
The center sought to broaden its offer while maintaining its role as a proximity shopping destination in a densely populated Bucharest district.
Action taken
Veranda Mall undertook an expansion reported at approximately €10 million, adding more than 6,000 square meters and bringing in Cinemax, Decathlon and World Class Romania.
Aftermath
The project was associated with a reported occupancy rate of 96 percent and a larger leisure component.
Expansion investment. €10 million (2019 expansion)
Recent events
- 2020
Veranda Mall introduces an online marketplace during the COVID-19 shutdowns[1]
Product launch
The mall launched Veranda Mall Online in June 2020 to help tenants continue selling while shopping centers were affected by pandemic restrictions.
- 2020
Veranda Mall’s Mici Grill campaign wins recognition at Webstock[1]
Campaign
An Instagram augmented-reality filter inspired by Obor’s mici-grilling culture promoted responsible Labour Day celebrations during lockdown and received second place for Best Use of Instagram at the Webstock Awards.
- 2019
Veranda Mall expands with Cinemax, Decathlon and World Class[1]
Product launch · Other
An expansion reported at approximately €10 million added more than 6,000 square meters and introduced Cinemax’s first Romanian multiplex, a Decathlon store and a World Class gym.
- 2019
Veranda Mall launches its first Cinemax multiplex in Romania[1]
Product launch
Cinemax opened a 12-screen multiplex at Veranda Mall on December 27, 2019, with premium audiovisual equipment, VIP rooms and a restaurant.
- 2016
Veranda Mall opens in Bucharest’s Obor district[1]
Other
Veranda Mall was inaugurated on October 27, 2016, as a new shopping center developed on the former Prodplast factory site.
Sources1 sources
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