Measures in St. Veit

Combating vacancies: pop-up stores and events

Advertising for the store meets event information.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

It's a problem that actually affects all Carinthian towns: empty stores in the city centers. The ducal town of St. Veit is using various means to combat this dismal sight.

When walking through the town center of St. Veit, you will inevitably come across a number of shop windows with no goods on display - vacancies are also a major problem in the ducal town. Some stores have moved to the outskirts, some have had to close for economic reasons.

But the AI symposium is being advertised in a corner store. "When there are events in the city, such as the symposium or the Wiesenmarkt, vacancies are also used for them," explains Mayor Martin Kulmer. "We work closely with the owners and bring a bit of life to the shop windows." Fortunately, however, the city is also taking a long-term view and declaring war on vacancies.

"With the support of the Carinthian Economic Development Fund, there will soon be another pop-up store competition," emphasizes Kulmer. "Registrations will start this year."

St. Veit is not alone with this initiative - these competitions have repeatedly succeeded in attracting new businesses to the city centers and providing a breath of fresh air. The KWF supports the projects in advance, and the best ones also receive prize money. In addition, the cities cover part of the rent for up to six months.