It is the beating heart of the city, a true trading lung but also the scene of all social struggles. Long neglected and underdeveloped, Rennes city center is now at the heart of everyone’s attention with a major project to redesign it by 2030. Greener and free of cars, it must eventually become “a place of destination and not of transit”. This will involve the establishment, once line B of the metro is in service, of a limited traffic zone which worries many traders.
It will also be a question of trade from this Wednesday with a citizen consultation which opens on the commercial city center of tomorrow. Already in competition with shopping centers on the outskirts, the city center has also suffered from repeated demonstrations. Not to mention the health crisis which has led to a plunge in store traffic and new consumption habits. What penalize the attractiveness of the city center of Rennes in the long term?
Few commercial premises available
On this point, the facilities play a big role. But the commercial offer too. In Rennes, customers in the city center do not have too much to complain about with around 1,800 shops according to a recent study by Audiar. At less than 5%, the commercial vacancy rate is also one of the lowest in France. “Rennes city center is increasingly attractive,” confirms Agnès Legros, director of the commerce branch of the Giboire group.
Proof of this is the many requests it receives from brands wishing to establish themselves in the Breton capital, “national brands but also independent or local players”. Unfortunately, commercial premises are scarce in Rennes. And when some come free, they are often small in size. This partly explains why some large brands prefer to locate in shopping centers on the outskirts.
Big brands that are always waiting
Heartbreaking according to Florian, alias@Rennesplus on Twitter. A keen observer of commercial life in Rennes, he deplored the absence of locomotives in the city centre. “Apart from the arrival of Uniqlo or Nespresso, not much has happened in ten years,” he laughs. Often announced, the arrival of major international brands such as Apple, Starbucks or Primark is indeed always awaited in the city center of Rennes. Elected from the opposition (right and center), Charles Compagnon points to the lack of diversity in businesses. “There are no problems finding a new phone case, but it’s more complicated if you’re looking for a luxury gift for a wedding,” he says.
The most striking example, according to him, is rue Le Bastard, the main shopping street in downtown Rennes, which “has become impoverished” and “has become the street of telephony”. On the other hand, all the players questioned underline the richness of independent trade with new designer boutiques or food shops that are springing up everywhere. “This is what makes the richness and identity of the city center and we must take care of it”, underlines Charles Compagnon.
The transformation of the Palais du Commerce should be a game-changer
By 2025, the face of the city center will also change profoundly with the project to transform the Palais du commerce in République into a large shopping centre. Belonging to the Post Office, this emblematic building, which covers 12,000 m² spread over five floors, should accommodate around fifteen brands with brands such as Decathlon City, AM.PM or Citadium in the ranks. A hotel and several restaurants are also planned.
“I’m waiting to see the result, but it could be a great place to shop,” says Elodie, a student who crossed the Place de la République. Agnès Legros is also convinced of the potential of the place and its future influence. “I think that tomorrow, the city center of Rennes will have nothing to envy to that of Nantes”, she assures.