Einkaufs-Center Neuperlach – pep
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA major neighborhood shopping center in Munich’s Neuperlach district, operated by ECE.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Einkaufs-Center Neuperlach – pep, commonly known as pep, is a large shopping center in Munich’s Neuperlach district. It functions as both a neighborhood center for everyday and non-daily retail needs and a significant commercial destination for the southeastern part of the Munich metropolitan area. The center is integrated into the urban structure of Neuperlach rather than being an isolated, peripheral retail park. Its location at Neuperlach Zentrum connects it directly with Munich’s U-Bahn network, local and regional bus services, surrounding housing, civic facilities, and the broader district-center infrastructure. The shopping center was developed as part of the construction of Neuperlach, a large planned residential district created during the postwar expansion of Munich. The developer Neue Heimat combined three existing neighborhood centers—the Quiddezentrum, Plettenbergzentrum, and Marxzentrum—into a larger retail facility intended to serve the district’s growing population and provide shopping for goods beyond basic local convenience. After approximately three years of construction, the center opened on 5 March 1981 with 65 shops and approximately 30,000 square meters of floor area. Its original architectural realization was associated with Ernst Hürlimann. Distinctive design elements included a large stone oak tree, approximately five meters high, positioned in the center of the building, together with a red-brick floor treatment. These features gave the center an identifiable interior character at a time when many shopping centers were designed primarily around standardized commercial layouts. Ownership changed in 1984, when Deutsche Grundbesitz-Investment Gesellschaft mbH, a Deutsche Bank subsidiary also known as DGI, acquired the property for the equivalent of approximately €54 million. In 1989, DGI opened an extension along Thomas-Dehler-Straße. The expansion added around 30 shops and introduced a 24-meter-diameter glass dome as one of its principal architectural elements. The project also created two circular loading areas linked by a central block, elements that remained part of the center’s operational infrastructure. ECE assumed responsibility for shopping-center management in 1990. A further expansion and modernization was completed in October 2000. By then, the center had developed into a major regional retail destination. A survey covering 2002 identified pep as Germany’s most profitable shopping center on the measure used by the survey, with average revenue per square meter reported at roughly twice the national average. The center’s sales were reported at approximately €336 million in 2003, although these historical figures should be understood in the context of the cited years and source methodology rather than as current performance indicators. During the early 2000s, the owners and operator considered a further extension across the multilane Thomas-Dehler-Straße toward Hanns-Seidel-Platz. The proposal would have created approximately 24,000 square meters of additional retail space and included a cultural and community facility to be financed by the developer. A planning assessment commissioned by the city questioned whether the expansion was justified by local demand and expressed concern that the enlarged center could draw purchasing power from a very broad area extending along the A8 toward the Alpine foothills. The plan was ultimately not pursued, particularly after the Riem Arcaden shopping center opened in Munich’s Messestadt Riem in the proposed eastern catchment area. In November 2011, Reeff Investment, the successor organization to the former DGI ownership structure, sold the property for approximately €408 million to a United States institutional investor associated with TIAA-CREF, a teachers’ pension and financial-services organization. ECE has continued to be identified with the operation and management of the center. The property’s commercial role is supported by its transport connections: Neuperlach Zentrum station is served by Munich’s U5 subway line, while the adjacent bus terminal at Hanns-Seidel-Platz accommodates numerous local and regional routes. The center also has two car parks with a combined capacity reported at approximately 2,000 spaces, reduced from an earlier total of about 3,000. Parking charges were introduced in June 2012. Today, pep is best understood as a district-scale shopping-center brand rather than as a conventional retail chain. Its identity is rooted in location, tenant mix, accessibility, and its role in the urban life of Neuperlach. The center’s reported scale is approximately 60,000 square meters, with around 135 specialty shops, although tenant numbers and floor-area descriptions may vary by source and date.
History
pep was created as part of the planned development of Munich’s Neuperlach district. Neue Heimat consolidated the Quiddezentrum, Plettenbergzentrum, and Marxzentrum into a larger shopping facility intended to provide a district center for retail beyond basic daily necessities. The center opened on 5 March 1981 after approximately three years of construction, initially offering 65 shops across around 30,000 square meters. Architect Ernst Hürlimann was responsible for the realization of the center and incorporated several distinctive elements, including a five-meter-high stone oak tree and red-brick flooring. In 1984, Deutsche Grundbesitz-Investment Gesellschaft mbH, a Deutsche Bank subsidiary, acquired the property. A substantial extension opened on 23 November 1989 along Thomas-Dehler-Straße, adding approximately 30 shops and a prominent glass dome measuring 24 meters in diameter. The extension also created circular loading zones connected by a central block. ECE took over operation of the shopping center in 1990. Another expansion and modernization was completed in October 2000, bringing the center to its later reported scale of approximately 60,000 square meters and around 135 specialty shops. A 2002 survey described pep as Germany’s most profitable shopping center according to its selected performance measure, reporting average revenue per square meter at about twice the national average. Historical sales for 2003 were reported at approximately €336 million. In the early 2000s, an additional project was examined that would have extended the center across Thomas-Dehler-Straße toward Hanns-Seidel-Platz. The proposal included approximately 24,000 square meters of new retail space and a cultural and community center. A city-commissioned planning expert questioned the need for the additional retail capacity and warned about the geographical reach of purchasing-power diversion. The project was not continued, with the opening of Riem Arcaden in Messestadt Riem contributing to the changed development context. In November 2011, Reeff Investment, the successor to the former DGI ownership structure, sold the property for approximately €408 million to a United States institutional investor linked to TIAA-CREF. ECE remained associated with the operation of the center. In June 2012, parking fees were introduced for the two car parks, which together were reported to provide approximately 2,000 spaces, compared with an earlier capacity of around 3,000. The center is closely integrated with public transportation. It stands above or beside Neuperlach Zentrum station on Munich’s U5 line and is adjacent to the bus terminal at Hanns-Seidel-Platz, served by several local and regional routes. Its position, scale, and tenant mix give it a role extending beyond Neuperlach itself into southeastern Munich.
- 2012
Paid parking begins
[1]Parking fees were introduced at the center’s two car parks in June.
- 2011
Property changes hands
[1]Reeff Investment sold the property to a United States institutional investor associated with TIAA-CREF.
- 2000
Expansion and modernization completed
[1]A further modernization and expansion was completed in October.
- 1990
ECE begins operating the center
[1]ECE assumed responsibility for shopping-center management.
- 1989
Thomas-Dehler-Straße extension opens
[1]The extension added approximately 30 shops and introduced a large glass dome.
- 1984
Acquisition by DGI
[1]Deutsche Grundbesitz-Investment Gesellschaft mbH acquired the property as a Deutsche Bank subsidiary.
- 1981
Shopping center opens
[1]pep opened on 5 March with 65 shops and approximately 30,000 square meters of floor area.
Products and positioning
A large, accessible urban shopping center serving Neuperlach and southeastern Munich, combining neighborhood convenience with a broad regional retail offer.
Retail category
Fashion and apparel retail
pep’s fashion offer consists of specialty retailers serving everyday clothing, seasonal apparel, footwear, and related accessories. The category contributes to the center’s broader regional appeal beyond strictly local convenience shopping.
Retail category
Food and grocery retail
Food-oriented tenants provide regular shopping needs for residents of Neuperlach and nearby districts. The category supports the center’s district-center function and complements its non-daily retail offer.
Retail and services
Services, dining, and specialty retail
The center combines specialty shops with consumer services, restaurants, cafés, and other visitor-oriented businesses. This mixed offer is designed to increase the usefulness of the site for both routine errands and longer shopping visits.
Brand decisions
2012
Introduction of parking feesPrice changeBackground
The center’s two car parks provided approximately 2,000 spaces, down from an earlier reported capacity of around 3,000.
Action taken
Parking use became fee-based from the beginning of June 2012.
Aftermath
Paid parking became part of the center’s access and operating model.
2000
Abandonment of proposed large-scale extensionStrategyBackground
The owners and operator considered extending pep across Thomas-Dehler-Straße toward Hanns-Seidel-Platz with approximately 24,000 square meters of additional retail space and a cultural and community facility.
Action taken
The extension was not pursued after a planning assessment raised concerns about local demand and the possible diversion of purchasing power from a wide area. The development of Riem Arcaden further changed the competitive context.
Aftermath
pep continued to operate as an established district and regional shopping center without the proposed cross-street expansion.
Sources2 sources
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