In the city centre of Eindhoven, we are working hard on a new display, with new paving, a strip of asphalt and extra greenery. The entrepreneurs in the shopping area are more happy, but also have their concerns. “I’m concerned that we’re losing business because of this.”
“I do agree that something has to be done. The street is not really attractive to shoppers at the moment,” says Kim Verstraal of Kim & Co, which is located on Hooghuisstraat. But she also has concerns. “It will be open here at the end of the year. December is of course a very good month for us because of Christmas. I am concerned that we will lose turnover as a result.” She is looking to see if she can rent something else somewhere during that period. “I don’t want to wait for the risks.”
Taste
Camille Peters, owner of Churro’s, among others, on the Demer, also has mixed feelings, but is mainly positive. “Look, tastes differ. Some people like asphalt better, others prefer paving stones , but if you look at the bigger picture, you see that the maintenance of the street level is important,” he says. “It is important that you get a good end result, from which we reap the benefits together and that it is also nicer for the customers in the city centre.”
Impact
But he also expects it to affect his income. ‘Of course it will have an impact. You are in a location where a lot of traffic passes by. If a ditch is dug in front of your door and there are fences around it, this will affect your turnover. But how big that is remains to be seen when it is our turn.”
The shopping street is becoming greener and the paving that has been there for 25 years is being replaced by new paving stones and asphalt. There will also be more greenery. “It is important that it looks better than it does now,” says Maarten Tibosh, manager of Bang and Olufgen. “It still lacks a bit of atmosphere.”
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
