Retailers: lower parking rates to tackle vacancy – Financieele Dagblad

Retail Trade Association Netherlands calls on municipalities to reduce parking fees. That should help to improve the attractiveness of shopping centers in the Netherlands and combat vacant stores.

The vacancy rate in shopping centers increased recent years to a record high of 7.4%. In some municipalities, this is even more than 20%. Retail Netherlands is concerned that the vacancy rate will only rise further, following the bankruptcies include V & D, Perry Sport and Macintosh, the parent company of Scapino

” Municipalities play a key role in the business climate in the malls, “said chairman Guido van Woerkom. ‘To prevent ghost towns, they must take action. “In

addition to lowering parking fees would action is to engage municipalities according to him, by” reducing the number of vacant retail premises and relieving local and regulatory burdens.

As an example of what not to do, Van Woerkom calls the city of Assen. “As the parking fees by 45%, the retail vacancy rate rose rose to 17.5%, and as icing on the cake Assen took another decision to realize a huge outlet center outside the city.