"In discussions with retailers in the city center of Bonn, the absence of out-of-town customers is a major issue," says Jannis Vassiliou, executive chairman of the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg/Euskirchen Retail Association. In particular, stores with more specialized goods feel the absence of out-of-town customers. "On the one hand, this is due to the traffic situation in Bonn, because drivers have difficulty getting to the city center efficiently and quickly. Once they are there, they are confronted with traffic jams, road works, narrowed lanes and one-way streets. This is a massive deterrent," says the Bonn jeweler.

For many, he said, public transportation is not a real alternative because it is too inflexible and too expensive. "It also doesn't offer all segments of the population, especially older citizens, the same possibilities as when they own a car. Another issue is online retail, which has strengthened during the Covid pandemic, partly due to lockdowns. Shopping behavior has changed noticeably as a result."

Of those surveyed in the Rhein-Sieg district who shop somewhere other than the district, most shop in Siegburg and only twelve percent in Sankt Augustin. Just two percent of respondents from the Rhein-Sieg district travel to Bad Honnef for their shopping. Three percent travel to Cologne to do so, and four percent to other places outside the district. "Siegburg, as the district capital, has a great appeal within the Rhein-Sieg district and offers a correspondingly developed infrastructure," Vassiliou explains. "The pedestrian zone with numerous stores, restaurants and service providers ensures a variety of offers. Siegburg also has more in-commuters than out-commuters. This provides an additional boost of potential customers who cover their daily needs in Siegburg.”

And 30 percent of respondents cover their needs by buying online. Here, it is primarily the group of 16- to 29-year-olds, 49 percent of whom use online services, closely followed by 30- to 44-year-olds, but only 18 percent of those over 60. "Retailers have been making the case for the need to digitize brick-and-mortar retail, especially since the Covid pandemic. It is of great importance for brick-and-mortar retailers now and in the future to have an online presence and, if possible, to offer goods online," emphasizes the chairman of the regional retail association. "Online contact with the clientele is now part of the game, and no retailer can do without it any more. The goal must be a smooth transition between stationary and online business. The retail association is working on such a solution together with some municipalities in the Rhein-Sieg district.”

According to the Forsa survey, people in Bonn and the Rhein-Sieg district are actually satisfied with the range of retailers. While the issue is apparently of little importance in Bonn, the vast majority of respondents in the Rhein-Sieg district (81 percent) say there are still enough stores in their locality where they can buy groceries and other everyday goods. These include, for example, beverage stores, drugstores, health and medical supply stores, pharmacies, opticians and audiologists, gas stations, kiosks with newspaper sales, bookstores, florists, pet supply stores, and home improvement and garden centers. Men are more satisfied with the selection (86 percent) than women at 77 percent.

"This is consistent with our experience," confirms the spokesman for the retailers' association. Grocery stores and those offering everyday goods can be found in most cities and towns in the association's territory. "There are often several competing suppliers even in smaller communities. Consequently, this also has a positive effect on the range of goods on offer.”

In Bonn, on the other hand, just eight percent noted a decline in inner city business locations as a result of retail store closures and criticized inadequate offerings for children and young people. Vassiliou confirms that there is currently a certain amount of vacancy in Bonn's inner city: "However, our experience has been that in most cases these are leased again very quickly. A lot has happened in the city center in recent months, and new stores have opened. This confirms that Bonn, as a regional center, is still an interesting location for companies. Nevertheless, it is important to keep a close eye on the situation.”

There are also negative voices: In the Rhein-Sieg district, 19 percent of respondents complain that there are no longer enough stores in their community where they can stock up on goods for their daily needs. Women (23 percent) state this more frequently than men (14 percent), respondents over 45 more frequently than those under 45, and secondary school graduates more frequently than respondents with an “Abitur” or university degree. Among 16- to 29-year-olds, satisfaction is 91 percent.

People in the Rhine-Sieg municipalities that border Bonn directly are less satisfied with the shopping situation than those in towns and municipalities further away from Bonn: In the neighboring communities, 79 percent say there are enough stores, while in the more distant communities 84 percent say there are. The same applies to dissatisfaction: 21 percent of respondents living directly adjacent to Bonn complain about a lack of stores for everyday goods, while in the more distant localities the number is only 16 percent.

How can this be explained? "As the region's main center, Bonn has a large catchment area and also serves directly neighboring communities. It can be assumed that companies that want to settle in the region or open a business prefer Bonn as a location," says Vassiliou. In addition, there are more than 100,000 commuters to Bonn from the entire region, which has an impact on Bonn as a retail location and results in a broader range of products.

Incidentally, supporters of the Left Party (92 percent) and the FDP (91 percent) rate the retail situation quite similarly. Satisfaction among supporters of the CDU, SPD and Greens is between 79 and 85 percent. However, a large number of respondents believe that the number of retail stores has gone down significantly (26 percent) or somewhat (36 percent) in recent years. Only 38 percent said that the number of retail stores has not decreased. A decrease in the number of local stores is mainly lamented by those over 45 years of age.

On behalf of General-Anzeiger and Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, Forsa Society for Social Research and Statistical Analysis GmbH asked 22 questions to 750 people over the age of 16 in the Rhein-Sieg district and 751 in Bonn in August of this year. The selection procedure for the telephone interviews guarantees that all population groups are represented in the sample. This makes the results representative. The questions cover different areas of daily life and local politics. The GA and radio station presented the results in the series "So ticken wir! The Great Heimat Check," which finished on October 8.

(Orig. text: Dylan Cem Akalin / Translation: Carol Kloeppel)