The Meir, high-end consumer goods
The Meir is located in the heart of one of Belgium’s largest shopping areas. Established on a former canal, the pedestrian street is lined with shops, rococo-style heritage monuments and a shopping mall. It is now one of the most expensive shopping destination in Benelux.
A huge catch-up effect
Before Covid, the city of Antwerp was struggling because of development works, and specifically due to the absence of Dutch customers, who accounted for a large part of shopkeepers' sales. The end of the sanitary restrictions coincided with the end of the construction works, notably on Place de l'Opera, as well as a high level of real estate availability.
Players reposition themselves
The Meir is undergoing a transformation, with many long-established players experimenting with new locations.
Europe's High Streets are booming past the Covid era
After two years of pandemic, the rise of home office and the growth of e-commerce, the evolution of the streets that concentrate the most visitors and attract the highest rental rates is particularly watched by the market, as it reveals the transformations to come.The European High Street Ranking compares the dynamics of the prime streets in 7 European capitals (London, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris) based on a single metric: the increase in pedestrian traffic over the past 12 months. Cushman & Wakefield Retail's experts in each country analyse the reaction of the Commercial Real Estate market: price trends, retailer and landlord behaviour.
Prime European high streets are witnessing a triple phenomenon
- Sports brands are conquering Europe's high streets;
- In the fashion sector, shops are opening and closing according to brand strategies;
- In most European countries, premium and luxury players are expressing strong demand to open or transform their shops.
