Shoe street retailers leave Yekaterinburg

According to the IAA UralBusinessConsulting, which explores the central streets of Yekaterinburg in search of “crisis zones” - places in which outlets, public catering and services are massively closed, one of the most noticeable highways with signs “Rent” and “Sale” »Are more common than others, became 8 Marta Street in the Bus Station area.

Now almost a third of all commercial premises located on the ground floors of residential buildings are empty there.

Both large shops, designed on the first floors of buildings in the Soviet era, and relatively small establishments, already in the market era, converted from apartments on the first floors, are closed. The shopping area, which was one of the “showcases” of Yekaterinburg in the 80s and 90s, is rapidly degrading.

“In this region, the market segment was formed that sagged the most with the beginning of the crisis - fabrics, clothing and other related products. The owners of these premises simply cannot pay the rent. Only those who own the areas are not closed, ”explained the independent financial consultant Sergei Nikolaychenko.

Experts name three reasons for the rapid departure of business from the street on March 8. The first of them is the low throughput of the retail outlets themselves. Today, the narrow 8 Marta Street is gradually ceasing to be one of the main city transport routes. The lack of the required number of parking spaces makes the stores unattractive for buyers from other parts of the city. Inhabitants of nearby houses are not enough to meet the demand in specialized stores and establishments.

The second reason is the appearance of a large Megapolis shopping center in the neighborhood, which attracted significant flows of buyers, and with them, tenants. The third, and in many respects decisive, was the economic crisis, which seriously hit the already not the most attractive area for street retail.

Those enterprises that continue to operate are also in a difficult situation. So, at the intersection of st. Shchorsa and March 8, the Tervolina shoe salon has been located for almost 9 years, but in the current economic situation, the future of the store is in question.

At the end of 2014, a sign “Sale - 75%” appeared on the windows of the THOMAS MÜNZ branded shoe salon, soon after which the store was completely closed.

Following the closure of the German footwear salon, several more shops selling footwear and accessories to them stopped operating. In particular, the Zenden shoe store, the Centro store and the Pokrovsky shoe house were closed. As a result, now on the street. On March 8, the whole trade queue is empty at once.

Despite the fact that almost every third door on the street is decorated with the inscription "Closed", the owners of the premises still expose them at rather high rental rates - from 1,5 to 2,8 rubles. per sq. m.

Market experts are confident that the trend towards a gradual decrease in the number of street retail facilities in the current crisis will only gain momentum.