Erfurt's city center closes: legendary shops close their doors!

Erfurt's city center closes: legendary shops close their doors!

in Erfurt's city center, especially around the Anger, is currently the order of the day. Unfortunately, it can be seen that several long -term businesses have closed their doors forever. In the end, the clothing store "ONLY" had to stop the company, and the popular fashion jewelry chain "Claire’s" no longer stopped by. These developments are piling up at a time when retail in city centers are in transition and giving up many branches. The "donut effect", which describes how the consumption of city centers shifted to the surrounding area, is becoming increasingly clear in Erfurt.

But that's not all: in Schlösserstraße 20 there was only recently a change of shops. The former shop "Brink", which moved to a larger area on the cathedral square last year, left its former location. This was taken over at short notice by the jewelry and watch service "Rewa Timecheck", which, however, closed again after just a few months.

New hopes and art in the shop

In December 2024, the Erfurt wholesaler for natural food took over the area. However, this did not last long: the shop, which operated under the name "Best Ramp", receded its doors in May. The area was only rented for the rent, but the rental period was extended. Since June 11, 2023, the shop area has been shining in new splendor, because works of art as part of a project that invites you to yesterday's Krämerbrückenfest are presented. The art project 2.13 uses this room perfectly for the exhibition and with these creative content ensures a breath of fresh air in the area.

to the future: The Krämerbrückenfest

The Krämerbrückenfest 2023 may already be history, but the anticipation for the next festival is already noticeable. From June 19 to 21, 2026, Erfurt becomes the scene of the 49th Krämerbrückenfest, which is Thuringia's largest old town festival. Here the old town turns into a lively festival mile with colorful market stalls, stage programs and a diverse range of music, theater, handicrafts and regional cuisine. The festival is not only an excellent opportunity for the locals, but also for guests to enjoy the happy atmosphere and cultural life.

A look at the challenges in retail

In the overall view, however, it turns out that retail is faced with major challenges. The changes in consumer behavior cannot be overlooked-the proportion of under 30 year olds who appreciate the city center as a shopping location dropped significantly from 75% in 2015 to just 40% in 2021. This development is an alarm sign for the city who wants to create an attractive shopping landscape. Many consumers not only want more places to linger and surround, but also a mixture of shopping, living, working and leisure activities in the city center.

For Erfurt's city center, it is to be hoped that creative concepts and a strong tavern and cultural scenes can help to compensate for the decline in business and to increase the quality of life. A good hand is required here to master the change of time and continue to make Erfurt alive and inviting.