Europe's prime high streets remained resilient between the first and third quarter of this year, with the majority of markets reporting stable prime rents, according to new research released by Colliers International.

Almost a dozen of the markets surveyed even reported some growth, with notable increases seen in Oslo and Riga of 7% and 10% respectively. Conversely, Athens and Sofia saw sharp falls with prime high street rents down 17% and 15% respectively, Colliers' biannual EMEA Retail Rents Map shows.

Shopping centre rents in Europe's dominant city centres also remained stable as retailers continue to demonstrate strong demand for space whilst rationalising their portfolios elsewhere. Notable increases were seen in Leeds and Milan, where shopping centre rents were pushed upwards by 8% and 11% respectively.

High street prime yields have generally remained stable or compressed mildly as investors continue to pursue risk-adverse strategies, with capital preservation their greatest concern. In Amsterdam yields have dropped to 4.4%, down from 4.75% in the previous six-month period. Oslo has also seen a sharp compression and prime yields are now at 5%, down from 5.75%.

A similar pattern was seen in prime shopping centres, with most of the markets monitored by Colliers reporting flat yields over the six-month period. Prime shopping centre yields in Moscow now stand at around 10%, down from 10.5%. Again, in Oslo yields have sharpened notably, decreasing to 5% from 5.75%.

'Prime retail assets have continued to attract strong investor demand,' said Ian Elliott, head of Retail for Colliers International in Eastern Europe. 'Large, dominant shopping centres are still in vogue with cash-rich investors looking for large, well-let, low-risk investments.'