‘Rue de Rivoli is entering a new phase of inner-city growth and attractiveness,’ explains Thierry Fourez. ‘The spectacular renovation of the 150-year-old department store La Samaritaine is the crown jewel of this street’s transformation. This is accompanied by a new concept: it is not just a ‘temple of commerce’, but also a meeting place for people, brands and experiences.

Paul Rodenburg of B@S (Brood@Spelen) Retail Consultants is a specialist in retail, shopping malls and inner-city development. ‘The B and S in our name stand for “brood en spelen”, that’s Dutch for the expression “bread and circuses”. It is a reference to the emperors of the late Roman Empire who won the public’s favour by showering them with entertainment, food and drinks. That 2000-year-old approach has today grown into a complete economy, the “experience economy”, in which shopping, dining and entertainment, and arts and culture come together.’

Before she founded My Jewellery in 2011, Sharon Hilgers (32) was a French teacher. She began pursuing her extraordinary passion for jewellery by developing her webshop, and then later opened her first boutique in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Today, My Jewellery has become one of the fastest-growing e-commerce companies in the Netherlands, with over 625 employees and twenty boutiques all over the country. ‘The physical presence in the shopping boulevards that suit our target group gives our brand extra depth.’

Downtown is a place where people like to come, to meet other, to shop, to relax. Many inner-city areas are also historic, and simply pleasant places to spend time. But above the shops, it is often strikingly quiet and empty. It seems that across the Netherlands, there are thousands of empty floors above our retail spaces, which all in all could provide the space for 40,000 homes. ‘Time for change!’ says Hilko Hartog.