NMBS wants more retail in train stations

There were more than 400 retail establishments in the Belgian train stations and they generated 23.8 million euro in turnover, up 17 % and also a sign for the NMBS (Belgian railroad company) to focus more on retail.

36,000 sqm of stores

The NMBS has more than 36,000 sqm of store space, spread across 424 stores and eighty stations. These stores are doing increasingly well: their sales grew 17 % last year, to 23.8 million euro. They either have to pay the NMBS a fixed fee or a sum based on their turnover.

“Train stations are the place to be, now more than ever”, commercial director Cédric Blanckaert told paper Le Soir. “Retail has increasingly shown interest in our train stations, after having failed to see their potential for such a long time. Antwerp Central station attracts 1.5 million commuters a month, compared to 1.3 million people on the Meir and that does not even include the people passing through a station without actually travelling.”

That is why the organization wants to expand its retail opportunities by some 4,000 sqm by 2019. However, train stations should not become a shopping center: “We have to make better use of our space”, Blanckaert said.