“I can’t stand shopping areas which depress and stress me out,” Julia, 50, tells us. And she's not the only one. Héléna, 36, finds them “very impersonal, and the offer is too commercial”. She flees large commercial spaces. Of the 37 people who answered our questions, 18 preferred the city center for shopping and 19 the commercial areas. The match is therefore very close.
“Supporting downtown merchants”
In the city center, consumers come looking for “more choice, more quality”, sometimes “high end”. But the challenge is above all to keep small independent businesses alive. Héléna “prefers to support those in the city center”, “a principle” for Sylvette, 76 years old. But it’s also the “pleasure of the streets, I like to walk around town and then go to a restaurant,” says Émilien, a young thirty-year-old. But the match is not decided solely on convictions. Working people who live in the city logically prefer to go to the city center. But commercial areas are favored by retirees, whatever their place of residence, because of the ease of access and parking.
Parking, the crux of the matter
Patricia, a 65-year-old retiree, “does not want to have to pay to do her shopping”. Like her, nearly 57% of our respondents explain that they are fleeing the city center: “no space”, “too complicated to park with the blue zones”, “1 hour 30 minutes goes by quickly, underlines Sophie, 39 years old, and eyes glued to the watch is not pleasant.” “A PV factory”, parking raises eyebrows but also access to the often “congested” city center. The arguments of some are also those of others. Françoise, 71, prefers a dynamic city center: “It’s very easy to park since there are blue zones.” “I try to avoid traffic jams in commercial areas,” says Gwénaëlle, in her fifties. Entering the city center means risking traffic jams, and leaving it too.
We have a diversified offer [dans le centre-ville]many independents, historic stores
The advantages of commercial zones
“A lot more brands, including stores that don’t exist in Lorient,” explains Paule, 82, in defense of the commercial zones. “And the stores are open at lunchtime,” adds Isabelle, 58 years old. Another interest highlighted is the offer of shops “in the same place”. Especially since the disappearance of certain brands in the center, such as Maisons du monde, Minelli, Burton or even San Marina, has pushed people to turn to commercial areas, such as those of Keryado, Plénéno-Bourgneuf or even from Lanester. Even those who campaign for city center businesses.
“Lorient is an open-air shopping center”
Alain Le Brusq, deputy for commerce at the City of Lorient, is a fervent defender of the city center. “We have a diversified offering, many independents, historic stores. Parking is not a criterion in my opinion, people like to walk in the open air. I like to say that Lorient is an open-air shopping center.” Even if the rate of vacant businesses has increased from 3.7% to 6.3% in one year, the deputy is positive and is also banking on “the arrival, in three to four months, of new businesses within the Nayel space, to strengthen the attractiveness of the city center.”
Parking lots in the city center
1,605 is the number of paid parking spaces in the city center of Lorient. These are those at Place d'Armes, Rue Nayel, at Orientis or even south of the station. Since 2023, two so-called “enclosure” car parks have been installed at Place Alsace-Lorraine and opposite the Arcades. For the latter two, the first 30 minutes are free… just a bit for shopping! But they are free on Sunday, which is rather good news for those who would be tempted to take advantage of the stores exceptionally open this December 22. For a little more freedom, the disc zones, with 735 spaces limited to 1 hour 30 minutes. Three free car parks at rue Jean-Le Coutaller are also part of the solutions.
