Angers and Nantes meet world investors and retailers

The cities are neighbours but didn't always got on together. That could change. Angers Loire Métropole (Alm) and Nantes, the most important town of the Pays de la Loire région, share a common stand at the International market for retail real estate (Mapic) which takes place every year in Cannes. The event is dedicated to help facilitate retail real estate development. If retailers, investors, developers, and other real estate professionals attend, 110 local authorities like Angers and Nantes are there to meet potential partners coming from 63 countries all over the world.

Angers and Nantes share a stand because they have a common interest : to seduce brands and investor. Seen from other continents, Angers and Nantes look rather medium towns located at the extreme end of Europe. Given the present economic situation, Angers is right to stick to the town leader in the West of France. If Angers Loire Métropole has some assets to display (a customer catchment area of 400 000 inhabitants, commercial surfaces of 500 000 m2, 2 000 commercial points), it has also weaknesses to overcome (declining purchasing power, increase of unemployment, low wages).  

More and more, the economic difficulties of France could lead the two towns to collaborate for major issues : economic development, teaching and facilities (like the future Notre-Dame des Landes airport). If the website of Angers Loire Métropole display these "entente cordiale", it should explain it in English. The Angers Loire Valley concept has apparently not convinced everyone of Alm of its usefulness.