Minsk to host the sixth Retail & Developer Forum: key topics for franchisees

The sixth Retail & Developer Forum is scheduled to take place in Minsk on 26–27 November 2026. The international forum will bring together representatives of retail chains, developers, retail property managers and investors. For the franchise community in Belarus, its agenda is primarily of practical interest: choosing retail premises, developing physical retail and working with landlords.

Who is organising the forum and what is on the programme?

According to an announcement published on 2 November in a round-up of business conferences on the HF portal, the forum is organised by the maplaRE agency, led by Alexander Shlapakov. Alutech is listed as the strategic partner.

The business programme includes a plenary discussion and four parallel streams covering different areas of the market. Announced topics include the outlook for shopping centres, changing tenant requirements and the impact of e-commerce on commercial property. The programme also covers warehouse logistics, development project financing, legal issues and the use of artificial intelligence.

The forum therefore focuses on property and retail development rather than franchise sales. This is where its agenda overlaps with the needs of the franchise community. Entrepreneurs looking for premises for a new outlet should assess these topics against the requirements of their chosen business concept, rather than relying solely on broad market forecasts.

With four parallel streams, attendees will need to choose between discussions. Before attending, it is worth deciding on a priority: finding premises, managing an existing site or assessing the conditions for further network expansion.

Retail premises: questions to prepare

One of the forum’s central themes is changing tenant requirements. For prospective franchisees, this is a prompt to compile a single checklist of their chosen chain’s requirements before negotiating with a landlord. This should include floor area, layout, building services specifications, scope for installing equipment and access arrangements.

It is also worth preparing questions about the full cost of renting. When comparing premises, ask not only about the base rent but also about additional charges, rent indexation provisions and payment arrangements during the fit-out period before opening. These are recommendations for preparing for negotiations, not terms announced by forum participants.

The planned discussion on the outlook for shopping centres may also help inform location assessments. However, a broad view of property development is no substitute for checking a specific offer. Entrepreneurs should compare the premises with the requirements of their business format and agree key specifications with the franchisor before making commitments.

For existing franchisees, the practical question may be different: how well do their current premises support the outlet’s development plans? Discussions with the landlord could cover the need to change the floor area, opening hours or customer service arrangements. Whether such changes are possible must be established for each individual property.

E-commerce, logistics and legal issues

The impact of e-commerce on the commercial property market is a distinct topic on the programme. For the franchise community, it is particularly useful when considering which operations a future outlet will need to support. If the chosen concept involves handling online orders, this should be taken into account from the outset of discussions about premises.

When preparing questions, it can help to divide the space by function: serving customers, storing goods, receiving deliveries and processing orders. This makes discussions with the landlord more specific. The forum announcement itself does not set any universal requirements for premises; these must be determined for the particular business model.

Warehouse logistics is another announced topic. Entrepreneurs would be well advised to focus on the link between the outlet and its supplies: where goods are received, how delivery vehicles gain access and what restrictions apply at the site. These issues should be considered alongside the layout, rather than after the final choice of premises.

The legal part of the programme provides another reason to prepare a list of contractual questions. These might include provisions on permitted use of the premises, repairs, changes to lease terms and termination. Discussions at a business event are not a substitute for an individual legal review of documents before signing.

How to use the agenda to address your own priorities

Practical preparation for the forum should begin with a short project brief. For a new outlet, this could set out location requirements and the maximum budget for premises. For an existing business, it could list constraints that hinder operations or expansion. This document will help distinguish general ideas from the conditions that matter to the chosen franchise.

It is also useful to draw up a separate list of questions requiring follow-up checks. These may concern the property’s technical specifications, the breakdown of rental charges and permitted alterations. Information gathered during discussions should be recorded, with a note of what needs documentary confirmation.

Practical takeaway: The sixth Retail & Developer Forum in Minsk is best viewed as a platform for discussing property and retail development. Franchisees should arrive with specific premises requirements and questions about leasing, then make decisions only after checking the property and contract and securing agreement with the franchisor.