Why Cent Pur Cent chose temporary retail for its next move in Antwerp
On September 10, Belgian cosmetics brand Cent Pur Cent opened its first Antwerp store at Schuttershofstraat 55, previously occupied by JOTT.
For Avenue, however, the story behind this opening started much earlier.
Last year, Cent Pur Cent participated in our pop up competition and came in as runner up. They narrowly missed out on the winning spot, but the introduction was made.
We stayed in touch.
As Cent Pur Cent continued to grow its physical retail presence, following Hasselt and a pop up in Knokke, Antwerp became an important next step. The question wasn’t simply where space was available. It was how to enter the market in a way that matched the brand’s ambitions.
Temporary doesn’t mean short term thinking
Retail expansion is often presented as a straightforward sequence. Choose a city, find a store, sign a long term lease and open the doors.
In reality, ambitious retailers have more options.
A temporary location can be a deliberate step within a much longer growth strategy. It allows a brand to establish a physical presence in a new market without having to define every decision that follows from day one.
For Cent Pur Cent, Schuttershofstraat 55 creates exactly that opportunity. From September, the brand will have its own presence in the heart of Antwerp’s premium retail environment. What comes next doesn’t need to be decided today. And that’s precisely the point.
Real markets provide real intelligence
Data can tell retailers a lot about a city. Footfall can be measured, catchment areas analysed, neighbouring brands mapped and consumer profiles studied. But physical retail adds another layer.
Being present in a market allows a retailer to experience it from the inside. How does the brand connect with local consumers? How does its concept translate into a particular retail environment? How does physical presence contribute to the wider brand?
Those insights are difficult to reproduce entirely from behind a desk. Temporary retail therefore shouldn’t simply be seen as a shorter version of a traditional lease. Used strategically, it can help retailers make better informed decisions about their growth.
Why Antwerp?
Following its presence in Hasselt and Knokke, Antwerp represents a logical next market for an ambitious Belgian brand continuing to build its physical footprint.
But Antwerp isn’t one homogeneous retail market. Different streets attract different customers, brands and shopping behaviour. Schuttershofstraat occupies a distinctive position within that landscape as one of the city’s established premium retail streets.
For Cent Pur Cent, the location creates an opportunity to bring the brand directly to an Antwerp audience within a relevant retail environment. On September 10, that next chapter officially began.
Sometimes the relationship comes before the requirement
There is another reason this transaction is particularly relevant to Avenue.
When Cent Pur Cent became runner up in our pop up competition last year, there was no guarantee that our first encounter would eventually result in a transaction.
But it introduced us to the team, their ambitions and the direction in which the brand wanted to grow. When Antwerp later became relevant, that relationship was already there.
That’s an important part of how we approach retail real estate at Avenue. The best opportunities don’t necessarily begin when a retailer sends out a requirement or when a property officially becomes available. They often start much earlier.
By knowing which brands are growing, understanding their ambitions and staying close enough to the market to recognise when the right opportunity emerges.
From runner up to Schuttershofstraat
Cent Pur Cent narrowly missed out on winning our pop up competition last year.
But that wasn’t the end of the story. The introduction was made. The relationship continued. And one year later, the brand opened its first Antwerp store at Schuttershofstraat 55.
For us, that’s what Access to Advantage is about. Not every conversation needs to result in a transaction today. Sometimes the value lies in knowing the ambition long before the right opportunity presents itself.
Because in retail real estate, the next deal often starts with the conversation before it.
Planning your next move?
Whether you’re a retailer exploring a new market or an owner looking for the right brand for your property, timing and access can make all the difference.
Avenue connects retail ambitions with the right opportunities.
Planning your next move? Talk to our High Street Agency team via elena@avenue.eu.