Europe's shopping streets are back in business amid pandemic recovery

Europe's key shopping districts are attracting crowds of customers once again, according to a report by analytics company Mytraffic on Wednesday.

The Champs-Élysées in Paris can already boast 23% more shoppers than before the pandemic, while the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin is still 12% below pre-pandemic levels.

Between June 2021 and May 2022, crowd levels were 102% above the year before on the famed Parisian Boulevard, while the Leidsestraat in Amsterdam experienced a year-on-year increase of 55%. Both the Kurfürstendamm and Oxford Street in London had a boost of 31%.

Shoppers and tourists were returning to the high street more quickly than expected, and in spite of the Ukraine war and high inflation.

The feared death of in-person shopping has not occurred the authors of the study said.

The real estate market on the largest shopping streets has stabilized and international chains are once again investing in flagship stores.

The cooperation between private investors and local government to develop shopping streets and public spaces is paying off, according to the report.

Such cooperation can make city centres more attractive, through cultural events, better security and cleanliness, or initiatives like free wi-fi.