Frédéric Marquet

Manager of the downtown Mulhouse area

Mulhouse on the move: two store openings for every closure

The City of Mulhouse has invested heavily in the modernization and beautification of its downtown area. Its retail sector has found a new vibrancy, with nearly two shop openings for every closure, resulting in a very low vacancy rate. Frédéric Marquet, in charge of the retail sector for the Mulhouse local authority since 2011, gives us insight into the method.

What strategy has Mulhouse adopted to boost its retail sector?

Our aim is to upscale and diversify the range as much as possible, and to bring a touch of creativity to the downtown area to help distinguish it from neighbouring localities and online retail. The Mulhouse Grand Centre project, between 2010 and 2016, gave impetus to this strategy, supported by strong political commitment. Retail is one of the four focus areas of the project, alongside housing, public spaces and mobility. Without this comprehensive development strategy, I wouldn’t have been able to convince store chains and independents to set up shop here. It’s at the very heart of the process. Another aspect of the project is the involvement of all stakeholders – the City, the semi-public development company (CITIVIA), shop owners, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), real estate agents, as well as certain banks and customers.

Now that the political will has been demonstrated, how can all of these stakeholders come together to take action?

By involving them in the project right from the start, in a way that empowers them. We organized creativity workshops and asked them to come up with proposals together. This proved highly productive, with over 80 proposals submitted. During the first two years, these workshops were held weekly, and they are now scheduled on a monthly basis. There have never been fewer than 40 people at the meetings. Sharing the project is the key to the strategy. This gives us the means to mobilize forces, spread information, challenge different viewpoints and explain the reasons behind the City’s selection of certain proposals over others. When running the meetings, we ensured that everyone took part in all of the projects, even those proposed by others, which has led to greater buy-in. The projects were split into two categories: those that retailers could run by themselves, and those that would be managed by local authorities. This is a good way to clarify everyone’s role and make participants aware of their responsibilities. It is also essential to inform people of the results. Our Facebook page, “Mulhouse Ambiance Shopping”, followed by 13,000 people, is an outstanding way to spread the word: it also allows me to gather precious information through comments, discussions and requests.

What role do you play in leasing out vacant premises?

The consultation process is really useful for spreading information and building cooperation, with the CCI and real estate agents in particular. Without a doubt, we have France’s most up-to-date database of vacant premises. Combined with in-depth knowledge of the field, it enables us to inform prospective retailers, while supporting them in the choice of location suited to their needs. The fact that 80% of projects are presented to our department gives us a true role in shaping the downtown area. We want to attract independents as well as national retail chains, but the most important thing is to bring in stores that will last. We have opened over 370 in five years and the number of vacant premises has fallen 44% since 2011.