Economic difficulties in the commercial core of Angers may anticipate troubles for the retail trade

The last demonstrations of Angers store owners against the project of pavement tax finally withdrawn and the implementation of car parks increases may hide more deep and worrying problems. Is the down town retail trade in good health? That is not sure. An indication about that difficulties could be the the admission of the new Café de France located at the core of the city, on Ralliement square, into a receivership procedure for six months.

Opened on April 2011 at the end of the tramway works in the place of a travel agency, the Café de France would not have reached the necessary turnover and would lack cash. But, in such a crowdy place, if a café does not run well, where it will? In neighbouring streets, some front sides indicate "for sale". That's the case for three of them in Saint-Laud street, while another one is visible in Lenepveu street, the two ways being pedestrian...

The attractiveness of Angers down town has not, apparently, be restored by the tramway. On some real-estate agencies, rents of some flats have to be discounted in order to find lesees. And the depressive economic climate could turn political. One of the opposition town councillors, Emmanuel Capus, has asked to the mayor to cancel the car parks fares.