- Business
- BIG Shopping Centers Ltd (BIG.TA) develops, invests in, and manages yield-bearing real estate projects focused on retail shopping centers, logistics facilities, office buildings, rental residences, and renewable energy assets; its portfolio includes open-air shopping centers, lifestyle centers under the Big Fashion brand, indoor malls, mixed-use developments incorporating hotels, senior housing, and medical facilities, as well as photovoltaic systems on rooftops and projects in wind, geothermal, solar, and energy storage. The company operates primarily in Israel, Serbia, Montenegro, France, and Eastern Europe including Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Balkans, with subsidiaries such as BIG Shopping Centers USA and BIG Europe, and serves as the controlling shareholder of AFI Properties, which manages offices and residences. Founded in 1994 by Yehuda Naftali and headquartered in Herzliya, Israel, BIG trades on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange as part of the TA-35 Index. In a strategic shift announced on November 19, 2020, the board decided to dispose of all U.S. operations to redirect resources toward expansion in existing regions like Israel, the Balkans, Poland, and Romania, including growth in logistics and renewable energy sectors. The group currently develops, operates, and manages 139 projects worldwide, encompassing 56 shopping centers and malls, 35 office buildings, 16 residence projects, and 7 logistic centers.