Shopping in Brussels on Thursday evening

This page has been automatically translated from French into English by a translation software. Automatic translations are not as accurate as translations made by professional human translators. Nevertheless these pages can help you understand information published by the City of Brussels.

A large number of shops in the centre of Brussels will remain open until 8 pm on Thursdays from 3 June 2010. The new concept is called 'Afterwork Shopping'.

Afterwork Shopping should become a new habit in Brussels. In 4 districts of the Pentagon, most shops will be open every Thursday until 8 pm:

Grand-Place
Saint-Jacques (to the Place Fontainas)
Vismet (Sainte-Catherine, Quai au Bois à Brûler, Quai aux Briques, first part Rue de Flandre)
Dansaert (Rue Dansaert to Rue Léon Lepage, Saint-Géry, first part Rue des Chartreux)

About 7 in 10 stores in these neighborhoods are participating in the Afterwork Shopping on Thursday evenings. The stores can be found on the website of Shop in Brussels.

Opening with music and contest

Every first Thursday of the month, the Afterwork Shopping will also have a theme. The first 3 Thursdays (3, 10 and 17 June 2010), there will also be a program with animation and a group of musicians in the 4 districts. Between 6 pm and 8 pm, these groups will perform at different places in the districts.

There is also a contest leading up to the first Thursday of Afterwork Shopping. A night of shopping (worth 2,000 euro) can be gained. Participation via Shop in Brussels.

Why late opening hours?

63% of the customers is interested in later opening hours of shops downtown. This emerged from a review of Atrium in 2009. These customers are mainly active people in their thirties, singles or couples without children. The later opening hours on Thursday must meet the modern lifestyle and customers such as commuters, conference goers, workers and tourists.