Large posters to keep up the suspense about the centre’s major project, the food hall, colourful balloons and garlands here and there. At Belval Plaza, where 500 people work every day, the start of the new school year is synonymous with festivities, with the opening of new shops and the return of the braderie on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September, with activities for children on the Saturday.
“Every month brings its share of good news and pleasant surprises. The number of visitors per year continues to rise. From January to July, we increased the number of visitors to the centre by an average of 12%, which means that by the end of 2024, we will have more than seven million visitors. This is exceptional for Luxembourg, and it’s also leading to an increase in our tenants’ turnover,” says Thierry Debourse, shopping centre manager at Firce Capital Property Management.
According to Christophe Fournage, chairman of Firce Capital, this trend is the result of a well thought-out merchandising plan: “We always make sure that our retailers contribute to the shopping centre as a whole, so that when we see a 12% increase in footfall, all the retailers benefit. And then it’s up to them to take advantage of the increase in traffic and to be good enough to potentially capture 12% more sales.”
Recent openings
Thursday 5 September was also opening day for Rookie Driving School, already established in the capital, in the Gare neighbourhood, and which chose the shopping centre to open its second location--in Building 2, which also houses Delhaize and a space belonging to the City of Esch. “Here too, we are sticking to our logic of offering the most comprehensive service possible to our customers. It’s located in an area of the centre that used to be a little quieter and attracts more people. So it also livens up this part of the centre,” says Debourse.
Among other recent developments, Italian cosmetics chain Kiko has opened its third outlet at Belval Plaza, on the ground floor of BP1, at the end of May. “The choice of Kiko is not insignificant, as our clientele is young, dynamic and family-oriented. There’s a real synergy between what Kiko offers and what our customers expect,” adds Debourse.
Belval Plaza is a pioneer when it comes to setting up international brands, such as Yogurtlandia, which has no other outlets in the country. Yogurtlandia is an Italian brand specialising in frozen yoghurt, which can be customised with different toppings. It has been located on the ground floor of Building 1 since July: “A novelty that is working very well and is likely to be copied in Luxembourg,” says Debourse. Other shopping centres in the country have reportedly approached the brand.
Also in the food & beverage segment, bubble-tea chain Lux Boba opened its first Luxembourg outlet in July, in a beautifully decorated space.
Also worth noting is the move of the Kiosk chain upstairs, next to Mediamarkt and the entrance to the future food hall, taking up a surface area that is five times bigger and offering a wider range of products.
Imminent openings
The , a fast food restaurant specialising in fried chicken. The country’s first restaurant will be located on the ground floor of Belval Plaza 2 (BP2) starting from 2 October. “It’s been a major project, and above all, it’s something that’s going to give a huge boost to the whole Belval restaurant scene. Having major fast food chains will bring together other chains, creating an increasingly dynamic restaurant hub, which is a positive thing,” says , chairman of Firce Capital, the centre’s owner.
Just next to the new driving school, the Moien Vietnam restaurant is still undergoing renovation work, and is due to welcome its first customers at the end of the month. The interior space has had to be redesigned to match this new venue, which will offer Vietnamese street food.
Another change worth noting is the arrival of Kim.K in the second half of September. This French brand, which has a presence in Mont-Saint-Martin, Thionville and Metz, will complement the women’s fashion offering in the shopping centre, in an area that is mainly dedicated to fashion and jewellery shops. “It has taken the place of Only, which was already doing very well and which has moved to a bigger site right next door, with a very successful operation for them,” says Debourse.
Come to Dubai, an oriental perfume chain, will also open at the end of September. “It’s a great story because it's someone who has known the centre practically since its creation. In the past, we tested the principle of temporary rental for six to eight weeks, and given the results, we transformed the trial into a permanent shop. The work is almost complete,” says the shopping centre manager.
The centre’s major project--the creation of a food hall on the first floor of Building 1--is still under way. Its opening date has not been specified, but it could welcome its first customers in the first quarter of 2025, with four restaurants and a bar on the station entrance side, and a grab’n’go area.
Next door, still on the first floor, will be the future Sport Direct shop, with a new concept and a fairly extensive range of products. The store is due to open in the second half of October. New escalators will be in operation at the opening to provide access to the store.
Belval Plaza intends to continue its efforts to improve the customer experience. “We have already put a lot of emphasis on the perceived quality of the centre, and this is something we will continue to do in the months and years to come. When it comes to comfort, one very important element is what we call the ‘cloakroom’ of a shopping centre: the car park. All the levels of the car park have been repainted, each with a different colour. We have also modernised the machinery and IT, with a number plate recognition system. During busy periods, such as Fridays and Saturdays, it was essential to make it easier to get in and out of the car park,” says Debourse.
This article was originally published in .