“It’s not so nice at Rewe anymore”: This is what Marzahn residents say about the slow death of their shopping center

The Eastgate in the Berlin district ofMarzahn-Hellersdorf on a normal Friday afternoon: An elderly lady is dozing in a leather armchair to soporific department store music. The shopping center, which opened in 2005, is right next to the S-Bahn station. Some passers-by walk purposefully into the shopping center from there, but most just walk past. Older people in particular are drawn to one of the largest shopping centers in Berlin and Brandenburg . It is also obvious that the second floor seems to be empty in some places. Many visitors to the mall also notice this.

But the truth is also that, according to the German Retail Association, the number of shopping centers and retail space in malls in Germany remained stable in 2024 compared to the previous year. The association says it does not have visitor numbers. It is unclear what the vacancy rate at Eastgate is from the operators' point of view. The management of Eastgate Berlin had not responded to inquiries from the Berliner Zeitung by Wednesday evening.

Are online shops making shopping centers obsolete?

A married couple is sitting on an escalator in the mall. Both have a walker with them. They are taking a break from their weekly shopping. The former GDR plant director and his wife - an employee - have lived in Marzahn for 40 years.

They visit the Eastgate shopping centre three times a week and usually shop at Rewe and Rossmann. The 89-year-old likes being here, but she is increasingly noticing the apparently growing number of empty spaces and the decreasing number of visitors. "Fewer and fewer people are shopping in these huge shopping centres. Young people in particular prefer to shop online," she says. The shops, and Rewe in particular, are also not completely barrier-free. "It's not so nice at Rewe anymore," she says - with a little sadness in her voice. The pensioner says that she has had to put her walker in reverse several times because otherwise she wouldn't have been able to get past other people. Her husband nods in agreement.

The 93-year-old, like his wife, enjoys visiting the Eastgate. But the pensioner has also noticed changes over time. "There used to be a lot more benches here, but they have all been removed. Seating is essential, especially for older visitors," says the elderly man. Nevertheless, the Eastgate is important to the couple. They can get everything they need here, from groceries to drugstore products.

Maurice Bartsch is sitting opposite a bakery. The 29-year-old is in the Eastgate every day and has nothing negative to say about the older couple. "It's cozy and clean here," says Bartsch. He says that he likes to shop at Rewe and always finds everything there. Bartsch doesn't currently have a permanent job. He lives in Marzahn and also uses the shopping center to meet people. After a little chat in the Eastgate, the 29-year-old wants to smoke a cigarette.

Many older people are out and about in Eastgate

Daniel and Steve are on the second floor of the shopping center and are walking towards the exit. The two 22-year-olds have just bought an "expensive" whiskey. They want to give the bottle away. The prospective educator explains that he worked at Eastgate for a year and says that the mall is no longer as attractive as it used to be. "Only well-known stores like Saturn or Vodafone are still visited," says Daniel. In addition, the mall is dead during the week. "There is comparatively more going on at the weekend, but that is also in moderation," says the 22-year-old.

The two men live in Marzahn. Steve has lived here his whole life. He also explains the dreariness here as follows: things are often cheaper online and therefore many people prefer to shop there rather than in shopping centers. The two men agree that niche shops are not popular, especially with the younger generation. Is that why younger people avoid Eastgate?

Sitting on a bench, Dieter Seged waits for his wife, who is shopping for the grandchildren. The 68-year-old comes from Eberswalde and likes the shopping center. It is "nice and quiet" and "clean" here, says the man. Whether it's clothing stores, drugstores or food shops, everything is in one place and easy to reach via escalators and elevators. Here and there, however, he notices that shops are empty and not so busy anymore.

Before Corona , there was more activity here. Busier shops and significantly more people eager to shop visited the shopping center, he says. The operator himself does not comment on visitor numbers. Dieter Seged also shares the opinion of visitor Steve. The former bricklayer says: "You can order anything on the Internet, no matter what you need or want. That makes a big difference and is clearly different from shopping in shopping centers."