Commerce: revitalisation subsidies frozen and neighbourhood economy weakened

Local commerce, the vital fabric of Brussels

Commerce is an essential pillar of the Brussels economy and neighbourhood life. With approximately 60,000 commercial establishments and 55,000 direct jobs in retail, this sector runs through all 19 municipalities of the Region. From the major shopping streets (Rue Neuve, Avenue Louise, Chaussee d'Ixelles) to small neighbourhood shops, the Brussels commercial fabric is dense and diverse.

Regional commerce policy relies on several mechanisms: revitalisation subsidies, the night economy strategy, commercial regulation and the regional commerce action plan. These instruments are primarily managed by hub.brussels and Atrium Brussels.

Since 9 June 2024, the caretaker regional government can no longer take new decisions in these areas.

Commercial revitalisation: struggling neighbourhoods without support

The mechanism

Commercial revitalisation programmes aim to combat the decline of Brussels' commercial centres. They fund the renovation of empty retail units, support for struggling shopkeepers, improvement of public spaces around commercial areas and collective promotion of shopping neighbourhoods.

What is blocked

With a vacancy rate estimated at approximately 15% in the Brussels Region, the need for revitalisation remains significant. Under a caretaker government:

• No new calls for projects for the renovation of empty retail units
• No funding for new shopkeeper support programmes
• No partnership agreements with municipalities for revitalisation projects
• No support for shopkeeper associations to develop collective strategies

Some Brussels neighbourhoods, particularly in low-income areas, are seeing their commercial situation deteriorate in the absence of regional support.

Source: hub.brussels, Brussels commerce observatory, 2025; Atrium Brussels, activity report 2024.

Night economy: a strategy on hold

The stakes

Brussels has a rich nightlife that contributes to its attractiveness and generates significant economic activity: restaurants, bars, concert venues, clubs. The Region had begun developing a specific strategy to support and regulate this night economy, balancing economic activity, residents' peace and security.

The consequences

• No adoption of the night economy strategy
• No adapted regulatory framework for nighttime activities
• No structural mediation between nighttime operators and residents
• No funding for adapted nighttime safety and cleanliness programmes

Source: hub.brussels, study on the Brussels night economy, 2024; BECI, commerce position paper, 2025.

Commercial regulation: modernisation on hold

The regulatory framework for Brussels retail was due to be modernised to adapt to sector developments: the rise of e-commerce, new forms of commerce (pop-up stores, dark kitchens), adaptation of trading hours. Under a caretaker government:

• The planned regulatory updates cannot be adopted
• The administrative simplifications promised to shopkeepers are postponed
• The legal framework for new forms of commerce remains unclear
• Coordination with the federal level on e-commerce issues stagnates

Source: UCM Brussels, survey of Brussels shopkeepers, 2025.

Regional commerce action plan

The regional action plan coordinates all commerce support policies: shopkeeper training, digital support, promotion of Brussels artisans, commercial attractiveness. Under a caretaker government:

• Renewal of the expired plan is impossible
• New support measures cannot be launched
• Coordination between different institutional actors is limited to routine tasks
• Budgets cannot be reallocated to address sector emergencies

Source: hub.brussels, commerce action plan 2019-2024 (expired); Atrium Brussels, annual report 2024.

What continues to function

Commercial activity

Brussels shopkeepers continue their activities within the existing regulatory framework. The market functions normally, although the absence of an active support policy weakens the most vulnerable businesses.

Existing permits

Commercial permits and authorisations issued before June 2024 remain fully valid. Renewal procedures within the framework of day-to-day management continue.

Basic support

hub.brussels and Atrium Brussels continue to support shopkeepers and entrepreneurs with existing resources and programmes.

Impact on the ground

The freeze on regional mechanisms has visible consequences in Brussels neighbourhoods:

• Increasing vacancy: without a revitalisation programme, struggling shopping streets deteriorate
• Weakened neighbourhood commerce: small independent shopkeepers lack support against online competition
• Slowed digital transition: shopkeepers wishing to digitalise lack guidance
• Declining commercial attractiveness: Brussels loses ground to better-supported peripheral commercial zones

Outlook

Brussels commerce faces a structural transformation: the rise of e-commerce, evolving consumption habits, sustainability challenges. Without an active regional policy, this transformation is occurring at the expense of neighbourhood shops and the vitality of local areas.

The next regional government will need to relaunch commercial revitalisation programmes and adapt the regulatory framework to the sector's new realities, or risk increasing vacancy rates and deterioration of the local commercial fabric.

Main sources: hub.brussels, commerce observatory 2025; Atrium Brussels, activity report 2024; UCM Brussels, shopkeeper survey 2025; BECI, position paper 2025.