They braved the cold and the wind to be present for the first opening day of Shopping Promenade in Claye-Souilly.
Several thousand curious people flocked to the open-air shopping center which opened its doors to the public on Wednesday.
Out of the ground just in front of the Sentiers shopping center, Shopping Promenade brings together 55 stores and restaurants as well as eleven leisure brands with a total sales area of 46,000 m².
In all, forty stores opened their doors on Wednesday, including furniture, household appliances, fashion, sports and culture to the great satisfaction of the first visitors to park in the 1,450 car park. places to access it.
Outdoor leisure
“I was impatiently awaiting the opening since the time we see the work in progress and I will now be able to go to certain brands that I did not have near my home such as the Chaise longue or Mondial fabrics and this is only five minutes by car ”, rejoices Annie, a 75-year-old resident of Villeparisis, who assures us that she will come back during the week when there will be a little less people.
“Before the opening, we had to go to Rosny 2 in Seine-Saint-Denis to find some of the brands present here.
In the sanitary situation, one can also come here to enjoy the outdoor leisure areas ”adds Stéphanie, who came with her son from Montfermeil (Seine-Saint-Denis).
The fifteen restaurant and eleven leisure brands, including the 400-seat cinema and the leisure complex bringing together karting, bowling and laser games, remain closed for the moment due to anti-covid measures.
A target of 4 to 5 million annual visitors
If the new shopping center can open its doors while this is not the case for other sites of more than 10,000 m², Antoine Frey, CEO of the real estate company Frey, does not see it as a godsend to launch the activity.
“I sympathize with my colleagues because what is not good for our competitors is not good for us!
", Confides the 46 - year - old entrepreneur, whose company has invested 99 million including 23 million euros to build the interchange to access the N3.
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Despite the health situation, the latter does not hide his optimism about the commercial success of this third Shopping Promenade and expects an attendance of 4 to 5 million annual visitors.
Claye-Souilly, this Wednesday.
The opening of the shopping center attracted many curious people.
LP / Hendrik Delaire.
“Our group also owns the Sentiers shopping center next door and we know the area well and its potential for shopping.
The rents and charges for traders are three to four times cheaper than in a traditional shopping center because we do not have the cost of heating or air conditioning a closed gallery, ”explains Antoine Frey.
"Our carefully considered concept is in line with user expectations with less ready-to-wear and more catering and leisure", assures Antoine Frey, who has already opened two Shopping Promenades in Amiens (Somme) and Arles (Bouches) -du-Rhône) and is preparing to inaugurate a fourth next week in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin).
"A shopping center that does not compete with the heart of the city"
Each time, the recipe is the same, the signs frame an outdoor promenade with play areas, fountains, picnic tables and even a pétanque court.
In Claye-Souilly, the shopping center also hosts a medical services center, including a dental center and an ophthalmological clinic, or a space called “Social club” which will be dedicated to associations in the municipality.
"We are creating a real piece of the city because the function of a shopping center or retailer is not only mercantile but to create social links", enthuses the CEO of the group, who affirms that Shopping Promenade does not threaten shopkeepers. from downtown Claye-Souilly.
"We have too often opposed the city centers and peri-urban businesses, which we have regularly made responsible for the difficulties of town centers, while it is rather excessive pedestrianization and the elimination of parking spaces that are the cause.
It's a debate of the past because the real enemy today is Amazon, whose logistics platforms will never create a social link!
"