More than one in five retail units in Walloon city centres now stand empty, according to new figures from the Association du Management du Centre-Ville (AMCV), which published its annual City Centre Barometer in Mons on Thursday.
The study, which has tracked retail trends since 1997, shows that 21.3% of commercial units are currently vacant, up from 20.9% in 2024 and the highest level ever recorded in Wallonia. In 2010, the vacancy rate was just 12.6%, before rising steadily, with only a temporary stabilisation during the Covid years (17.2% in 2021 and 16.8% in 2022).
Shops specialising in clothing, home goods and similar "shopping specialisation" sectors have been hit hardest, dropping from 30.2% of total retail in 2015 to 21.8% in 2025.
The AMCV attributes the decline to several factors: growing competition from out-of-town retail parks, online shopping, the bankruptcy of major chains, and a saturated market. Wallonia now has 1.88 m² of retail space per inhabitant, compared with 1.67 m² in Belgium and 1.2 m² across Europe.
However, some positive trends are emerging. Several city centres have seen stabilisation thanks to a shift toward hospitality and leisure, including cafés, restaurants, and fast-food outlets. This sector has grown from 23% in 2015 to 27.3% in 2025.
Neighbourhood convenience businesses such as food, hygiene, health, and service stores are also expanding, rising from 39.4% in 2015 to 43.4% in 2025, according to the AMCV.
