Montpellier's shopping district continues to develop, thanks to the arrival of new stores that complement the existing offering. 2025 is a year to remember.
Following hot on the heels of Atelier Tuffery, a jeans maker based in Florac (Lozère department) which decided to open its very first retail outlet in downtown Montpellier on Boulevard du Jeu-de-Paume, and Decathlon, which opened a 200 m² Decathlon City store in the Polygone shopping center in Montpellier on September 19, downtown Montpellier recently welcomed Cykero’s first retail outlet, located at 10'Comédie, a pop-up store that serves as a platform for testing locations in the city center.
Not only is the German group, which specializes in refurbishing electronic devices, setting up its future Technocentre 4.0 in the Montpellier metropolitan area, it also chose the heart of the city to open its first retail outlet, joining Atelier Tuffery, Tropisme, and Antoine & Lili, a mid- to high-end ready-to-wear brand that has also set up shop along Boulevard du Jeu-de-Paume.
Cykero offers its entire catalog, including iPhones, Samsung Galaxy devices, iPads, MacBooks, smartwatches, and more. The first floor is dedicated to the Cykero TechBar, a space where customers can have their electronic devices repaired or sell their old devices to be refurbished.
In line with the group's goal to become the European leader in refurbished premium electronic products, this new point of sale will enable it to strengthen its local reputation and evaluate consumer purchasing behavior.
“With this first showcase in Montpellier, we want to bring high-end refurbished products closer to the general public and show that they can be desirable, sustainable, and accessible,” explains Bichoi METIAS, President and founder of Cykero.
Now it’s Søstrene Grene’s turn to prepare for its opening in the heart of the city. The Danish brand, specialized in home decoration, tableware, small furniture, stationery, arts and crafts accessories, and children's products, is setting up shop in the historic Capoulié building in Montpellier, located at 6 Rue Maguelone.
This retail outlet will be the second largest in France in terms of floor space, after the Søstrene Grene store in Toulouse. Opening is scheduled for February. This store is also the result of the work by Altémed, an organization that facilitates the establishment of retail brands in the area.
Montpellier is “the first city I identified. Its reputation in terms of retail business is well established,” explained Jean Thiriez, Søstrene Grene’s franchisee for southern France, on October 3 at the Fabre museum in Montpellier, during Visio Commerce Day, an event co-organized by the Hérault Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the powerful host, in partnership with the specialized retail federation Procos.
The aim of strategy developed jointly by the Hérault Chamber of Commerce and Industry and local retailers is to maintain and develop the commercial heart of the city, enhance the appeal of the city center, and scale it up to match the needs of the Montpellier metropolitan area. This includes major events organized to support business activity in the downtown Écusson district. For example, the Cœur de Ville en Lumières (Downtown in Lights) sound and light show held from November 13 to 15 attracted more than 400,000 people.
Unrelated to Black Friday, the event is accompanied by Montpellier’s Christmas Market, which, since moving to the Place Royale du Peyrou, has created a north-south path that better serves the shops in the city center. The Christmas Market was held this year from November 28 to December 31. It welcomed 350,000 visitors during its first two weeks.
Montpellier's city center is quite dynamic. Figures from MyTraffic studies, which track retail foot traffic, highlight this point: by 2024, foot traffic had already increased by 15% compared to 2023. These figures were confirmed by those released by the Hérault Chamber of Commerce and Industry during Visio Commerce Day: from 2020 to 2025, “the number of businesses increased by 13.1%” in the Montpellier metropolitan area.
One example of this is MUSE, a new bar-restaurant opening on the ground floor of the Higher Roch tower. They will offer cuisine based on products supplied by local producers: La ferme des Aresquiers for fish, oysters, mussels, and wine; La ferme des saveurs (cheese); Renaud Suquet organic einkorn wheat; Edible plants and flowers from Calou in the Cévennes mountains; CulturÔtoits at Halle Tropisme; La ferme d’Ambias charcuterie, meats, yogurts, and cheese; La brasserie des Garrigues and several winemakers for dry Muscat from Frontignan; Domaine DéCalage and its partnership with La Maison des Vins du Languedoc to promote local wines. Last but not least, a new Banette-BMust bakery will open not far from MUSE.
2025, a milestone year for downtown retail!
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