Eight new stores will be opening at the Sontplein retail park in the southeast of the city of Groningen by the end of 2018.
Translation by Traci White
UPDATE: 10:12 a.m., Tuesday, 5 June
Dagblad van het Noorden writes that Action and Big Bazar may not be part of the Sontplein retail park after all. The municipal government declined a permit for the stores because they are concerned that the discount shops could create unnecessary competition for shops in the city centre. The municipality also denied permits for current plans for several other stores because they were too small: the local government wants the area to be filled with large-scale retail chains. The stores denied for size reasons can adjust their plans and reapply.
Original story below:
Dagblad van het Noorden reports that big changes are coming to the Sontplein retail park in the city. Real estate developer KB Winkels will rent 22,000 of the available 25,000 square meters at the shopping area and open a number of new chain stores (or relocate existing stores) by the end of this year.
Dutch chain stores Carpetright, Beter Bed, Beddenreus, Goossens, Action, Big Bazar, Intertoy and Jysk will set up shop in the area, and Leen Bakker will get a new location within the Sontplein. Most of the stores are focused on home décor.
Carpetright, Beter Bed and Beddenreus will be located on the ground floor of the shopping complex. The top floor will be home to discount chain Action (1,600 square meters), and construction on the area will create more space at the back for Goossens, another bedding store.
Dutch toy store Intertoys and another discount store, Big Bazar, will also have large locations at the site. There will be space for a few cafes inside the complex, and there are plans to cover the roof with solar cells that can generate 2 megawatts of energy for the local market.
KB Winkels also developed De Centrale retail park in Leeuwarden, which occupies 45,000 square meters and attracts 4 million shoppers annually.
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