According to Thalia CEO Ingo Kretzschmar, the government needs to invest significantly more in revitalizing downtown commercial areas, especially in light of stiff competition from inexpensive Chinese online retailers. Kretzschmar commented to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” newspapers (Saturday editions) that “politics often lacks awareness of how crucial our city centers are.”
He pointed to significant development failures that are being ignored. “Take online platforms like Temu and Shein. While we in Europe hesitated, a third of holiday sales already took place through Asian platforms last year,” the Thalia chief continued.
For Kretzschmar, the city center serves as a social binder. If these areas are lost, society faces “a major problem.” His company is actively involved in the “Lebendige Stadt” (Vibrant City) Foundation, where efforts are focused on bringing together municipal level, federal politics, and the private sector. They aim to discuss what is already working, what other cities can adopt, and where pilot projects can be initiated.
