General Newspaper Mainz
Mainz (ots)
The city center as a customer magnet and sales guarantee. It wasn’t all that long ago – and it’s already over. The shop dying progresses inexorably. And the worst news is that most cities and municipalities are watching the decline without doing anything. The development was foreseeable: Digitization has been hitting stationary retail even harder than other sectors for years. The corona pandemic accelerated the process and made it clear that retail has also overslept the change. Department stores are the most prominent examples of outdated sales concepts.
The vacancies increased – and with every further business closure the attractiveness of the affected shopping street fell. A downward spiral that even cheap shops, nail studios or hairdressers could not stop. In addition, inflation has put such pressure on purchasing power in recent months that even some of the shops that have held out are suffering.
And now? The retail sector needs to sharpen its profile in order to differentiate itself from online trading with good service. Department stores must offer their customers more than a shopping experience. And cities and municipalities have to develop concepts for using inner cities. Many retail spaces are too large and no longer economically viable. Vacancies must be filled with start-ups or cultural initiatives in order to increase attractiveness for customers. Wherever possible, the creation of living space should not be taboo. It is not easy for a city or municipality to get hold of the private owners. But the alternative would be to watch the decay. And everyone involved has been doing that for too long.
Press contact:
General Newspaper Mainz
Central Newsdesk
Phone: 06131/485924
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Original content from: Allgemeine Zeitung Mainz, transmitted by news aktuell
