2023, a year of record attendance for the Polygone Béziers shopping center

Simon Menant: “We broke the center's attendance record”. -DR

In 2023, the Béziers shopping center crossed the 4.6 million visitors mark for the first time since its opening in September 2010. A satisfaction for its director Simon Menant who is aiming for even better figures in 2024. &amp ;nbsp;

At the start of 2024, while the winter sales have just started, the director of the Polygone Béziers, Simon Menant, would like to take stock of the year 2023 which turns out to be the shopping center's best year in terms of attendance, since its creation 13 years ago. "We are very happy, we broke the center's attendance record, with an increase of 7.7% compared to 2022".  And an increase of 4.6% compared to 2019, the reference year before Covid. "We are one of the rare shopping centers in France to return to pre-Covid attendance and even better than before Covid", underlines the director. Counters are in fact installed at the different entrances, which made it possible to establish this data: "We have crossed the mark of 4.6 million visitors in 2023. So that previously, we had never reached 4.5 million. And we don't benefit from passing flows, it's mainly people who come to the center."

"People are spending less than before"

More people in the mall. But does this translate into more turnover in the stores ? "In view of the general context for the year 2023, the turnover figures are not ;#39;have not increased as much as attendance", recognizes Simon Menant. "People are spending less than before. The stakes are all the greater, to have more customers in the center". 

Despite this positive year, five brands closed in December. "Five brands out of 110, even if it's always regrettable, we have to put things into perspective." Overall, "we may have had a few more closures in 2023, in the sense that, from a national point of view, there were more brands in difficulty , like San Marina and Camaïeu (of which the boutiques of the Béziers shopping center have drawn the curtain, Editor's note)." At the same time, a Lacoste store opened. While the cinema was taken over by the Belgian group Kinépolis. Several cells remain vacant, the director promises the arrival of new brands in the spring. "We are vigilant about the brands that are establishing themselves. They need to bring something different. And putting the right sign with the right concept can take time…"

In 2024, in addition to the cinema renovation project carried out by Kinépolis (which will not impact screenings), the shopping center should continue its investments to reduce its energy consumption or even completely review its toilets. "Every year, we invest to maintain or improve our equipment". With a demand for quality.