“I really fell in love with the store and the neighborhood. This Wednesday, Mathieu Hippeau was given the keys to his future bookstore-tea room at 14, rue de l’Ouest in the 14th arrondissement, by Olivia Polski, assistant to Anne Hidalgo in charge of trade. A symbolic discount, since the future occupant had already opened the door to this former confectionery himself, but also because his shop is the 1000th to benefit from the GIE Paris commerce program.
Above all, it was an opportunity for the elected official to formalize the launch, in 2023, of the “Paris Commerce” program, voted last December by the Council of Paris and intended to revitalize the foothills of buildings in neighborhoods or commercial animation is running out of diversity.
Initially a simple collaboration between the semi-public company Semaest and the three public landlords Paris Habitat, RIVP and Elogie-Siemp, the “Paris commerce” program formalizes the creation of a legal entity responsible for overseeing these actions.
Promoting the diversity of local businesses
The aim of Paris commerce could be summed up as follows: Local shops must be promoted to prevent the streets of the capital from looking like real estate and insurance fairs. “That’s the spirit of what we want to do. Helping a bookstore to establish itself here, to preserve cultural trade,” explains Olivia Polski.
Bookstores aren’t the only ones affected. Since the organization wants to help set up all local businesses. Butcher, bakery, textile, and even sector 1 doctors or multidisciplinary health practices can benefit from it. “Today, with 7,200 shops, we manage just over 10% of the Parisian retail park. Mainly in priority areas of the city, but they are present in all the districts. On average, 250 locals are released each year, ”adds the elected official.
A single point of contact for candidates
Thus, project leaders who wish to launch a new business can go to the Paris.fr site to identify premises that might interest them and submit their application. Melissa Mikowsky, business manager at the GIE explains what happens next: “We help the promoters to build their project and we support them in the development of their business plan. We also advise them on the catchment area, etc. When the project is ready. We submit it to the lessor. The interest of Paris Commerce is to offer only one contact to candidates, in all these procedures, which are already sufficiently complicated.
A commission then meets to inspect the file. The criteria taken into account are in particular the diversity of commerce present in the district, the heritage and the competition. “If the street already has three opticians, we are not going to add one”, illustrates Olivia Polski. And the lucky winner can then benefit from support in his installation and aid such as a progressive rent to help him to sustain his activity, or a rent “very slightly” below the market.
ESS and “made in Paris”
“We want to continue to extend this program by targeting the social and solidarity economy or the ‘made in Paris'”, continues Olivia Polski. For Mathieu Hippeau, a former French teacher in a vocational high school, the help from the GIE and Paris Habitat was “a real boost”. Of Breton origin, he is happy to benefit from premises in the heart of the Montparnasse district, to open his bookstore “A l’Ouest” next May.
In the meantime, he can go and greet his neighbors on rue de l’Ouest, the grocery store Nous Anti-gaspi or the clothing store for the visually impaired Un regard sur toi, also former beneficiaries of the program.