Fight against vacancies: Future of the Schweinfurt City Gallery uncertain!

Fight against vacancies: Future of the Schweinfurt City Gallery uncertain!

In the Schweinfurt Stadtgalerie, almost half of all the shops are currently empty. This shopping center, which has had ambitious goals since it opened on February 26, 2009, is now faced with a vacancy rate of 31 percent after around 15 years in business. The closure of well-known brands, such as the McDonald's branch at the end of December 2024 and other stores such as Camp David/Soccx and dm, does not make the situation any better. The InFranken reports that the city of Schweinfurt is conscientiously responding to the concerns of its citizens and is promoting exchange with the city gallery.

Center manager Alexander Kuckshaus is optimistic and speaks of a comprehensive concept for the redesign of the city gallery. The first prospective tenants are already in sight, but the city emphasizes that the future of the center lies in other hands. An open letter from a concerned citizen warns of the threat to the attractiveness of the city center due to the existing vacancies, which the city takes seriously and is actively working on solutions.

An eventful story with challenges

When the city gallery opened, around 100 shops and around 700 jobs were originally planned. But the reality is different: There are currently only 60 stores left. The Bavarian Trade Association is skeptical about the development and fears that the city gallery, which was not really needed, could experience even more vacancies in the future. Axel Schöll, chairman of the trade association, appeals to the city administration to actively contact property owners in the city center in order to attract attractive tenants, especially in times when retail is coming under massive pressure from e-commerce and other trends.

In order to meet the challenges of a changing retail sector, collaboration across borders is required. As the new center manager Songül Aksu demands, non-retail concepts such as services should be taken into account. The city can support this, but must also recognize that the property owners are ultimately responsible.

Think outside the box: experience vacancies in a completely different way

If you compare the situation in Schweinfurt with other cities, the problem of vacancies becomes particularly clear. While the vacancy rate in Austrian city centers is 4.9 percent, Schweinfurt is struggling with a rate three times as high. Structural change in retail, the increasing importance of e-commerce and demographic changes are just some of the causes driving this phenomenon. In cities like Steyr and Wiener Neustadt, vacancies are even more than 10 percent. Solutions such as pop-up stores or co-working spaces have proven themselves, as international examples show. Therefore, a rethink will also be necessary for the Schweinfurt City Gallery.

The forecasts are clear: without innovative approaches to revitalizing the space, the already high vacancy rate could continue to rise. A consistent and joint effort by the city administration, owners and the population is required in order to maintain and perhaps even increase the attractiveness of the city center again. Because as the saying goes: “Shopping in the heart of the city can be a great experience if the environment is right!”