Yoga, collagen coffee and step analyses – the shopping centre wellness trend is also reflected in Citycenter
International real estate expert companies, CBRE and Savills, have observed the same phenomenon – leisure and wellness services are increasingly emerging to complement the retail services of shopping centres. This is also evident in Citycenter in the heart of Helsinki, which attracts customers with its exciting new brands and versatile sports, restaurant and café offerings.
The megatrend of experiences and well-being is also visible in the Citycenter shopping centre in the heart of Helsinki, which attracts customers to enjoy more diverse activities with its leisure services and new brands.
According to Mervi Jäntti, the director of the shopping centre, one of the most attractive wellness services is ELIXIA, which offers a wide range of group exercise classes, personal training, performance groups and yoga and Pilates classes.
In addition to shopping, we also want to promote well-being.
“High-quality fitness services are exactly what customers want right now and what attract customers spend more time in shopping centres. People come for well-being services, spend time here, and also visit other shops and services, such as a beauty salon, café or hair salon”, explains Jäntti.
The boom in shopping centre visits and the growing popularity of wellbeing and leisure products is also reflected in the recent figures of the Finnish Council of Shopping Centres. The figures show an increase in demand for beauty and health products in particular, and an uptick in the fashion trade.
New international brands
The changing role of shopping centres is also evidenced by the types of international brands that are seeking to enter the Finnish market. According to Jäntti, Citycenter’s customer flows are of particular interest to operators who offer new types of services and experiences in addition to retail products.
One of the newest arrivals is Sports Direct, which focuses on leisure and well-being and opened its first Nordic store in Citycenter in the spring. The brand combines sports and well-being, creating a new kind of service entity.
“The brand offers customers a gigantic, international sports and outdoor selection, services for various sports and a USC department that combines sports and fashion. It’s not just about selling products, but also about promoting an active lifestyle and well-being”, notes Jäntti.
New operators emphasising quality and well-being also include the café brands Nivo and Macha Crew that complement Citycenter’s popular restaurant service selection. Nivo is an innovative café chain operated by R-kiosks, and the outlet opened by it in Citycenter is also the chain’s first café in the world.
People want new, high-quality moments of rest in their everyday lives.
“Nivo’s health-enhancing product range strongly supports the megatrend of well-being. Nivo’s range includes functional drinks that support well-being and recovery and various seasonal products that can be either enjoyed as takeaway or savoured in the atmospheric café setting”, Jäntti says.
Matcha Crew, which emphasises healthiness and well-being and offers authentic Japanese flavours and high-quality matcha treats and drinks, is another new, high-quality café brand available at Citycenter.
Pop-ups bring variety to the centre
The aim is also to create a sense of community and offer experiences with pop-up stores that bring new phenomena to the city centre and offer visitors something that cannot be experienced online. As an example, Jäntti mentions Finland’s first BUBS pick-n-mix shop, which opened in Citycenter in August, attracting a huge number of visitors. Finland is only the third country to have its own shop selling these trendy Swedish sweets.
“For us, pop-ups are not so much a way to test the profitability of different products or complement seasonal sales, but a way to add variety to city life and deepen the customer experience. We invest strongly in our pop-up spaces,” explains Jäntti.
The BUBS store turns a social media trend into authentic taste experiences.
At Citycenter, customers have previously been delighted, for example, by the Kyro Distillery’s restaurant and sauna facilities decorated in distillery style, where Finnish whiskies could be savoured while enjoying an authentic sauna. The space also hosted various topical exhibitions.
Meaningfulness is also a factor that makes people linger,” Jäntti stresses.
Safe intersection
As shopping centres attract higher numbers of visitors, the importance of safety is also emphasised. With around 14 million annual visitors, Citycenter also serves as a workplace for more than 1,000 office workers.
According to Jäntti, the safety of the shopping centre will be increased by measures such as space and lighting planning. The latest innovation is the giant spherical lights that adorn the courtyard of Citycenter and the light art elements in the Valokäytävä passage.
The development work also takes into account the development of the city centre into a more accessible place in terms of pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Jäntti believes, for example, that the reform of the Kaivokatu area will further increase the demand for high-quality communal services and facilities.
“We believe that as the area is further developed in terms of its pleasantness, it will strengthen Citycenter’s attractiveness and boost its position as the most accessible shopping centre in the city centre, offering high-quality and versatile services,” she sums up.
Sources:
Savills: European Retail Report 2025 – Shopping Centres & High Streets
CBRE: Fit for Business: Integrating Fitness, Healthcare, and Wellness into European Retail Destinations (2025)
CBRE: European Real Estate Market Outlook 2026, Retail
Kaupunkitutkimus TA & FLOUn, Lundén Architecture Company ja Realidea: Elinvoimaa ydinkeskustaan