Belgian retail real estate in high demand: “Wave of international players on the way”

Despite a challenging economic climate and recent bankruptcies, retail vacancy rates remain low in Belgium: retailers realize that they need physical stores to maintain a strong online presence. Sustainability requirements are coming to the fore, however.

Retailers are investing in flagship stores

While retail news this year seems to be dominated by negative reports of restructuring and bankruptcies, the figures point to a resilient sector: both the investment volume and the number of rental transactions this year far exceed the figures for the previous two years, and rents remain stable. This is evident from a new report on the retail property market, compiled by consultancy firm Stadim. Ellen Piron and Bjorn Warlop of Stadim tell RetailDetail that there is a revival in the retail property market.