Einsa opens in former Kika building in Saalfelden
Thursday 8th October 2026 on 21:45 in
Austria
The first shops have opened at Einsa, a new shopping centre in the former Kika furniture store in Saalfelden, Salzburg, after years of vacancy, ORF reports. The centre is opening in stages after 800 days of approval procedures and about 200 days of construction, and some retail units are still unfinished.
Despite the incomplete work, many people came to the opening on Thursday, with some visitors having to wait for a parking space. A new hardware store has opened, while the biggest crowds gathered at a household goods discount retailer on the floor above.
A games hall is due to open on the top floor on Friday. It will include a digital bowling lane and a virtual golf simulator, and will stay open until 11 pm at weekends. A judo club and an education organisation are among those expected to move into nearby premises.
Einsa is a combination of the German words for “shopping in Saalfelden”. The centre’s manager and co-owner, Patrick Müller, said its retail mix was designed to complement the town centre rather than compete with it. Local shopkeepers remain concerned that the development could draw customers away from the centre. The municipality has promised a new shared-space zone and better promotion of the town centre.
About 11 million euros has been invested in converting the former furniture store. Its operators say the centre is intended to attract customers and help boost Saalfelden’s economy.
Other former Kika and Leiner locations in the region remain quiet. The former Kika building in Eugendorf has stood empty since Signa’s collapse. The mayor declined an interview on Thursday but confirmed talks with interested parties; the property could reportedly be sold.
In St Johann im Pongau, the former Kika store is being used as a warehouse by the XXXLutz group, which has no current plans for a new retail location there. At the former Leiner site on Salzburg’s Alpenstrasse, a housing project approved by the city senate in June has yet to begin. The former customer car park is being used by a used-car dealer. The property group Supernova is still pursuing its housing plans, but the planned start next year will be delayed by several months, it said on Thursday.