First AVA city store exceeds expectations

The compact city store that Belgian retailer AVA opened in late August in downtown Leuven has gotten off to a great start: the initial results are exceeding expectations, especially in the office supplies category.

Reaching a new audience

With the exception of its locations in Ghent and Antwerp, AVA is known for its spacious stores (and parking lots) located outside city centers. But recently, the retailer has been testing a new inner-city store concept: its first City location opened in late August on Diestsestraat in Leuven, a high-traffic location. With this move, the Belgian party decoration and office supplies specialist is responding to the trend toward proximity: “Our goal remains the same: to be close to our customers and easily accessible. But consumers in 2026 interpret that accessibility differently than they did, say, 10 years ago,” says co-CEO Fay Van Weddingen.

“Both in market research and during our temporary Christmas and summer pop-ups in Knokke and Ostend, we noticed that customers really appreciate coming across AVA during their usual shopping trips,” says Van Weddingen. “In the city, we also reach a target audience that doesn’t own or use a car and for whom our traditional stores along the ring road are therefore less easily accessible. We’ve noticed—especially in Leuven—that thanks to these spontaneous stops, we’re attracting a new audience that previously had a harder time finding their way to our highway stores.”

“Pleasantly surprised”

Retail spaces in the city center are generally more compact, so AVA makes smart product selection choices for the City concept. In Leuven, the focus is primarily on office and school supplies, supplemented by seasonal items and a selection of hobby and party supplies. Customers can order other items from the full catalog and have them delivered, either to the store or to their home.

AVA views the Leuven location as an important test case. If positive reactions and sales figures continue, the retailer does not rule out rolling out the City concept to other Belgian city centers in the future. “After the first few weeks, customer feedback has been exceptionally positive. They’re pleasantly surprised to find AVA in the city center and pop in out of curiosity to browse. That’s exactly what we had in mind. The initial results are exceeding our expectations, especially when it comes to office supplies.”