Although the project will not be officially completed until the summer of 2019 when Delhaize will open a store in the highly-anticipated city-centre shopping centre, the first phase is expected to open in spring 2018.
At that stage, Galeria Inno, the Belgian department store chain, will open its doors in Royal Hamilius to its 6,000 m2 sales area where it will employ 100-120 staff. Delhaize is expected to employ 25 staff at it 1,000 m2 store in the same complex.
This information was announced on Thursday morning at a press conference held at the Casino Contemporary Art Forum in Luxembourg city by property developers Codic. The Belgian group explained that the area currently under development at the Centre Hamilius represented an opportunity to expand the market in Luxembourg.
The Galeria Inno-Department Store will be a complementary addition to the existing trade in the city centre and for the Greater Region. They explained that this project is an essential element to give Luxembourg an invaluable position among the major cities in Europe. The department store will provide a wide selection of products from perfume and jewellery, to clothing, beds, kitchen appliances and much more.
Thierry Behiels, Chief Executive Officer of Codic international, stated “the concept of accessible luxury, with the liberty to try on and mix products with complete freedom is important”. Their priority is to create an atmosphere that comes with good quality service, and a great variety of products all under the same roof.
The arrival of the supermarket group Delhaize will also meet the daily demands of residents which continue to increase each year.
Both businesses will showcase the “Royal-Hamilius” project which the architecture will blend into the historic landscape of the city centre and the surrounding pedestrian streets of Rue Aldringen, Grand Rue and Avenue Monterey.
The city will acquire a welcoming space for pedestrians, a new stop for public transport (bus and tram), and a new parking of 630 spaces spread over 6 floors.
Rami al-Assouad of Galeria Inno spoke of the store's desire to cater to the culturally-diverse market present in Luxembourg, expressing his intention for brand recognition within a wide variety of cultures. He claimed: “This project will create world-class shopping, which offers new experiences and quality of service”.
Kris Van Strydonck, Country Manager and representative of Delhaize Luxembourg stated that he would like to innovate the brand with an additional 1,000 products every year, in targeting a broad spectrum of clientele including residents, workers and tourists.
Delhaize will occupy two parts, of which the first will provide an “on the go” service for a quick-meal solution for customers in a hurry, and the second part for general products.
Photos by Philip Munn (L-R: Arnaud Moerenhout, INNO SA; Rami al- Assoud, INNO SA; Thierry Behiels CEO Codic International; Thierry Debourse, Head of Luxembourg Office, Cushman & Wakefield; Kris Van Strydonck, Delhaize Luxembourg)
