Retail is struggling because of online competition.
(Photo: Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa)
The communities have little in their hands to counteract the increasing desertion of local centers. However, reliable data, such as how large the flow of visitors is at certain times, in front of which shops people linger and for how long, could be an instrument for designing the Bahnhofstrasse in Gräfelfing as a lively shopping street in the future. Gräfelfing’s municipal councils have now agreed to collect this data. The municipality wants to take part in the “Smart Analytics” pilot project funded by the federal government. The data would be collected over a project period of four years using a new type of technology in compliance with data protection regulations, promised Sebastian Deppe from BBE Handelsberatung in the main committee of the municipal council. Participation in the municipal council is not undisputed. Some elected officials doubt the benefit for Gräfelfing.
Real estate agencies are symbolic of abandoned town centers. Again and again they were mentioned as examples in the most recent meeting of municipal councils when it was necessary to express how one would not imagine a lively shopping street: brokerage office after brokerage office. And Gräfelfing has a few of them on Bahnhofstrasse. The municipality has been working with BBE Handelsberatung for a long time to strengthen local retail, to promote a lively town center and to counteract the constant increase in online trade – intensified by the corona pandemic. A workshop with entrepreneurs took place last year, along with a survey of retailers to find out what they wanted. In addition, the municipality has entered into a dialogue with shop landlords in order to persuade them to choose an attractive retail store rather than an office or doctor’s office when new tenants are rented. Data would help prove that retail could be worthwhile, Sebastian Deppe argued.
Basis for marketing strategies
In addition to Gräfelfing, four other municipalities and cities in Germany were selected to take part in the pilot project. Gräfelfing had previously expressed its interest. Now the official application for funding for the “Sustainable inner cities” program has to be submitted, and the community will have to contribute around 79,000 euros. Mobile phone data is collected during data collection. However, no personal data, but mobile phone frequencies in public spaces are measured, explained Deppe. Walking routes, dwell times or route connections could be derived from this. Ariadne Maps GmbH, which emerged as a start-up from the Technical University of Munich (TU), is responsible for data collection. The data should form the basis, for example for marketing strategies. In Gräfelfing, for example, ideas for a possible lively use of Eichendorffplatz could be derived from this, said Sabine Strack from the municipality’s economic development agency. The data collection should be transparent and explained before the start on the community website.
While Mayor Peter Köstler (CSU) spoke out in favor of showing courage for the new project and “continuing on the path” some councilors were skeptical. Katharina Weber (Green/Independent List) wondered how much influence the community could actually have on rentals. “We lack creative capacity,” said Petra Schmid (CSU). And Anette Kitzmann-Waterloo (SPD) doubted the usefulness of the survey because the wishes of the customers were not recorded. The only critical voices remained, seven other local councilors shared the same opinion as Florian Brenner (CSU): “Just try it”.