The truth hurts. But it can be seen every day in so many places, especially after the corona lockdowns: the inner cities are becoming deserted, vacancies are increasing, people only come to buy the bare essentials. Even the same chains in buildings that are no longer up to date are gradually disappearing.
Let’s not kid ourselves: Even without Corona, this development would not have been stopped, especially in many small and medium-sized towns. The big fashion companies, for example, had already carried out market shake-outs and mercilessly checked every location for relevance and sales.
It is precisely this inventory that the cities now have to start. But many still cling to the past and look back at a time that has long passed. And this is not only to blame for the growing online trade, which achieved sales of around 83.3 billion euros in Germany in 2020, an increase of almost 15 percent compared to the previous year.
Why is that even so important to me as an online first retailer? Medium-sized retailers cannot be indifferent when they crumble in so many places and fail to make use of the great potential. We must not leave trading to the international mega-corporations. And because we know that online and offline offerings belong together, we will be opening 24 new stores all over Germany in the next few months. Because: We don’t believe in separate worlds – customers are analog and digital on the go. Our customers should test our items such as bicycles and sportswear, feel them and take an experience with them. The goods are then sent home.
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Unfortunately, after our numerous negotiations, we no longer believe in the will of the cities to really turn things around. There are certainly already good impulses from Burkhard Jung, Lord Mayor of Leipzig and President of the German Association of Cities, who has long been calling for new concepts and showing best practices with the “City Impulse” platform. And Josef Sanktjohanser, President of the German Retail Trade Association, recently rightly pointed out in the Handelsblatt how important a revitalization of inner cities is for democracy and the development of society as a whole and for a functioning public.
Every municipality needs a unique selling proposition
But to do this, cities must finally begin to rethink radically. The romantic image of the busy commercial street will not come back in most places. Those who didn’t have a prime shopping mile to offer up to now will not be able to do it in the future either. Not every place has the potential to be an attractive shopping city – especially not in the vicinity of so-called “magnet cities” such as Münster or Düsseldorf. The loyalty of its own residents has disappeared at the latest with the construction of the oversized malls on the outskirts.
But: Not every city needs these shopping opportunities. It is high time that the cities reflect on their own strengths and consistently develop them. There is no such thing as a single blueprint for lively city centers, because every place works differently. But the change has to be initiated now, the momentum is there due to Corona, but also the pressure of online sales.
The solution is not to turn every traditional offline business into a digital provider. Even the cross-brand trade of the past no longer has a chance. Rather, it is now a matter of becoming clear as a city about its own unique selling point. Which mayor actually sees himself as the city’s first business promoter today? Who asks the residents regularly about their actual needs?
Eye-catching apartments instead of depressingly empty shops, children’s playgrounds, multigenerational cafés, sports facilities instead of space-consuming parking spaces, coworking concepts for new work in the city or urban production facilities, strengthening bicycle delivery traffic – this is where the future opportunities of inner cities lie. This requires financial support from the federal government and the possibility for municipalities to acquire properties that become available and to pave the way for conversion. Living, playing, shopping and work can, as a clever community concept, breathe life back into cities. This is the only way we can bring back the offline meeting points.
For those responsible in the cities this means: In consultation and mutual support with the neighboring towns in the region, depending on the history and structure, it could be adventure, culture, sport, event, nature or manufacture -Turn city. In the process, people from outside the industry have long been showing how attraction works: it is not without reason that cruise ships and Ikea rely on the “product plus experience plus service” formula for success.
Constitutional amendment for Sunday opening is overdue
One of the most important political instruments is the opening of shops on Sundays. Both adults have long been working in so many families and other models of life, there is actually only time for a leisurely stroll (and for consumption) on Sunday, after all duties are done on Saturday after a strenuous week – why can’t you finally create an adventure day with relaxed lunch, shopping, culture, games or sports and dinner? The necessary constitutional amendment is long overdue.
I don’t want to downplay the trade, on the contrary. But there is so much potential here too. Why don’t dealers team up with local taxi companies for quick deliveries? The pizza service shows how it is done – the goods arrive comfortably at home. Bring the good old advertising community to a table with other players, for a ranks of trade, gastronomy, sport, but also urban institutions such as music schools or, in the best case, universities.
Anyone who says that there is not enough money for this should think about subsidy graves like Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof. The “system relevance” for a lively inner city, which also served as an argument for the state loan of 460 million euros from the economic stabilization fund, can hardly be justified. Why not think about new uses, such as in Siegen, where part of the university with lecture halls and seminar rooms has moved into the upper floors of the Karstadt building? Young people will find their way into the city again, gastronomy and pop-up ideas will follow suit.
The current dynamics no longer allow time for long discussions. Vacancies are increasing dramatically, and according to the HDE, more than 100,000 retail stores are threatened with their very existence as a result of the crisis. In many cities this is the beginning of a downward spiral that we can only stop with joint efforts and courageous political decisions.
Marcus Diekmann is the managing director of the medium-sized retailer Rose Bikes. As a retail expert, he also advises other companies on digital transformation. During the corona crisis, he founded the organization “Dealers Help Dealers” which now has more than 3,400 members.
More: “Fashion boxes” and check-in in the multi-storey car park: These ideas are supposed to save the inner cities.