Definitive closure of shops at Place Kléber in Strasbourg.

January 15, 2020. -

G. Varela / 20 Minutes

  • Several businesses in the Place Kléber sector in Strasbourg have or will close their doors permanently.

  • There are several reasons for this: health and economic crisis, legal or inheritance problems, too expensive rent.

  • Until now, Strasbourg has had one of the best retail vacancy rates in France.

It is 5.30pm on Place Kléber in Strasbourg and at the start of the year, the atmosphere is a little gloomy.

Many shop curtains are permanently drawn.

“It has nothing to do with the curfew, testifies to

20 Minutes

a passer-by who looks at her watch.

Even before the coronavirus, businesses closed one after the other, ”she sighs, quickening her pace.

It is true that many brands have closed on this emblematic square of the city.

A brief 360-degree look can see the damage.

A large shoe store, a small trendy second-hand shop, two emblematic brasseries, a textile store.

Barely further away, other shops and that is without counting the closing of the department store Le Printemps announced for this end of the year.

Is Place Kléber, once a barometer of the city's vitality, losing its interest?

And more generally, are downtown businesses in danger in Strasbourg?

No generality

A feeling perhaps, "but we must study each case individually," said Pierre Bardet, director of the association of traders Les Vitrines de Strasbourg.

“For many who have closed, the store was already on a tight rope and the coronavirus was the coup de grace.

Many also had legal and inheritance problems.

For the moment, the director is not too worried about the commercial dynamics of the city but apprehends the imminent opening of the North commercial zone.

“We will have to be very vigilant and open our eyes,” warns Pierre Bardet.

While retail in the city center of Strasbourg has always been powerful, with a record vacancy rate below 4.5%, the persistence of excessively expensive rents is worrying.

Opinions shared by Joël Steffen, deputy mayor in charge of trade and who remains confident about the attractiveness of the city.

"There are signs of vitality such as the renovation of the Maison Rouge building, work planned in the former Schutzenberger brewery, project leaders continue to invest, hundreds of businesses are resisting", underlines the elected official.

Closures in hypercentre could even "have positive effects for a certain number of project leaders, advances Joël Steffen.

If premises start to become available, we may be able to get out of the commercial real estate bubble in which we are, with commercial rents, which have gone through the roof, and which have long been beyond reason.

Commercial premises reserved in short for large franchises who have the means to invest.

"

Rents as expensive as in Paris

Commercial rents among the most expensive in France, sometimes as in Paris, assure the specialists.

“Strasbourg remains expensive because private real estate companies own the premium locations.

Ultimately, they are the ones who make the rents, explains Pascal Hardy, manager of the real estate firm Immoval and specializing in the trade and sale of business assets in Strasbourg.

So the higher the rent, the higher the sale of the walls.

So no one has an interest in lowering them so as not to lose value.

"

An economic tension which leads to a certain stagnation in transactions.

“We do not return mandates but we do not leave either.

It's a bit like the status quo, ”illustrates Pierre Hardy.

The agent remains optimistic: “There are still transactions, but these are smaller transactions, on premises perhaps a little less well placed but with correct rents.

"

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  • Covid 19

  • Economy

  • Coronavirus

  • Strasbourg

  • Trade

  • Downtown