Customer habits are constantly changing, which consequently sees shops stand empty and traditional independent brands close down.
Two weeks ago, Tapis Hertz announced that it would be closing its Grand-Rue shop in November and the furnishings shop is not the only one to disappear from the shopping streets of the capital.
Sportswear shop Sports House Keller, based on Place du Théâtre, is also closing and the C&A on Place Guillaume II will be moving out of the upper-city. The two shops are due to be replaced by others, namely Monoprix and Naturalia. The furniture shop Mobilier Bonn will also be closing its Rue Philippe II shop, likely to be replaced by Louis Vuitton.
The causes behind these retail closures are varied, with Tapis Hertz only withdrawing its presence from the capital city.
The current manager of the family-run Tapis Hertz, Nathalie Aach, lived on Grand-Rue for 12 years and has worked on the high street for the past 25 years. The family business has existed for 73 years, making the decision to close the five-storey shop difficult.
The business's difficulties began three to four years ago and the managers began seriously considering closing the retail unit at the end of 2018, a year before the lease expires. The shop has 13 employees, but thankfully none of them will be unemployed, Aach confirmed.
Many retail units find themselves struggling due to rising rent costs, but this was not the case for Tapis Hertz.
The main issue the retailer found itself confronted with is that people are changing their consumer habits, shopping outside of Luxembourg City and online. When potential customers come to the capital, they tend to window shop and browse without making any purchases.
The city's retail landscape is constantly changing, Aach pointed out. Other big names have come and gone, namely Sternbeg, Neuberg, Rosenstiehl, or Monopol. And yet, retail has continued despite these closures.
The family-run business has decided its best short-term strategy is to focus on its two retail units outside of the city centre, namely in the Belle Etoile shopping centre and in Bertrange. The Grand-Rue shop will close its doors in the middle of November.
As for whether the shop might return, Aach did not exclude the possibility. However, she stressed that the city centre must recover before the business considers a return. One issue affecting retail, she pointed out, is the chaos wrought by countless construction sites, making the centre difficult to navigate and slightly unappealing.
As for whether the municipal authorities ought to provide more support to commercial businesses, Aach believed that is a difficult question. Whilst the authorities could do more, the manager instead suggested that the authorities could do with changing tactics, as retailers can sometimes feel abandoned. However, she remains positive that the city centre will become more appealing again and attract crowds.
