Istanbul ranks 7th in cross-border retailer attractiveness index - JLL

"Istanbul’s retail market is revolutionising at great speed, and has now moved into the top 10 most attractive locations for international retailers in Europe since we produced the Destination Europe 2013 report," JLL said in its Destination Europe 2015 report.

An increasing number of retailers consider Istanbul as a first point of entry to Europe, attracted by its modern shopping centre stock, landmark schemes and favourable demographics, JLL added.

The report examines the expansion and presence of more than 250 of the world’s leading international retailers, across 57 key European cities.

Romania's capital Bucharest ranked 30th in the JLL Cross Border Retailer Attractiveness Index 2015, Serbia's capital Belgrade occupied the 40th position and Croatia's Zagreb ranked 44th. The last SEE city included in the index is Turkey's capital Ankara, which ranked 46th.

"Europe’s growth cities, which include Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, Belgrade and Ankara, command relatively low prime rental levels in relation to their international retailer presence. These markets are also forecast to benefit from some of the strongest medium-term retail sales growth in Europe," the report said.

As these markets mature, increase retail sales and attract new international retail brands, prime rental levels are likely to rise, JLL added.

London, Paris and Moscow topped this edition of the Cross Border Retailer Attractiveness Index.