Fight against vacancies: Saarlouis and Saargemünd are looking for solutions!

Fight against vacancies: Saarlouis and Saargemünd are looking for solutions!

There is a lot going on in the charming cities of Saarlouis and Saargemünd, especially when it comes to the attractiveness of their city centers. The two places, like many others, are fighting against growing vacancies and the pressure from online retail. According to the city managers of both cities, who are intensively dealing with these challenges, there are clear approaches to reversing the downward trend. Saarbrücken newspaper reports that the main focus is on a successful mix of industries in order to stop the decline of local businesses.

A major obstacle to setting up new businesses are high rents and difficulties in contacting owners. In Saarlouis, many properties even have new owners, who often do not live locally and do not come from the retail sector. These high vacancies, which are referred to as “end bosses”, are a strong expression of the current problem. On the other hand, Sarreguemines is taking measures to combat this challenge: since 2022, an additional tax has been levied on vacant retail space, which is gradually increasing and has reduced the vacancy rate from 20% in 2019 to the current 12.5%.

The influence of online trading and the shortage of skilled workers

Economic difficulties such as increasing online trading are particularly affecting retailers selling textiles. This shows that many people live in the suburbs and drive into the city - a circumstance that also results in a lack of parking spaces. However, gastronomy remains a bright spot in the city center scenario, especially in Sarreguemines, where the “French street” with its charming restaurants and cafes is attracting more and more guests.

Another factor that is important for visitors to city centers is the shortage of skilled workers in the industry, which makes the situation even more difficult for businesses. From a broader context, this poses German Institute for Standardization found that many inner cities not only suffer from vacancies, but are also affected by the closure of traditional businesses. These developments did not happen suddenly; they are the result of years of trends that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

New momentum through events and room concepts

But there is also a reversal trend. The city centers are becoming more attractive again, especially through new concepts. Similar to Saarlouis and Saargemünd, many cities rely on events and pleasant places to stay in order to win back residents and visitors as a “place to live”. Greater focus should be placed on the younger generation as a target group that is of great importance for the revitalization of inner cities. Zeitzumhandeln.de shows that numerous federal and state funding programs have been launched to develop creative and sustainable uses for inner cities.

The question remains: How long can cities withstand this change and encourage citizens to spend more time in the city centers? The challenges are great, but with clever concepts and the will to change, the cityscape in Saarlouis and Saargemünd could soon be transformed into a lively community.