Revitalisation of brick-and-mortar shops in city centres - Implications from a case study of Wallonia and its main agglomeration centres

Abstract

The desertification of brick-and-mortar shops in town centres is a long-term phenomenon which has been accelerating for several years and which does not spare Walloon towns. The evolution of the retail sector due to changes in consumer purchasing behaviour, digitalisation, and the construction of shopping centres on the outskirts of towns are all causes of this. Combining documentation and archival records with 15 semi-structured interviews, I address this challenge in Wallonia by realising an embedded multi-case study on the main agglomeration centres of the Belgian region. The case study cities have been selected according to the geometric definition of a commercial nodule in Wallonia. This has enabled various actions to be developed in order to revitalise the town centres of their shops. This study has notably shown the effectiveness of shopping centres in terms of accessibility, attractiveness, variety of the commercial offer and experience, which can be used by city centres. Without a proactive attitude from city managers and retailers and the introduction of innovative services, brick-and-mortar shops will face in the future even more damaging changes. This study aims at preventing this possibility.