The rate of vacant premises in the commercial corridor of calle San Luis, in Rosario, doubled between December and June: it went from 5,1% to 10,2% and reached its highest level since December 2022. The promenade, which hosts more than 400 businesses between Moreno and peatonal San Martín, had gone through the pandemic with almost full occupancy. The prolonged drop in consumption has now changed that historical resilience.
The XII Survey of Commercial Premises of Rosario, prepared by the Faculty of Economic and Statistical Sciences of Universidad Nacional de Rosario and Colegio de Corredores Inmobiliarios, showed that vacancy increased throughout the city. In June it reached 12,5%, almost two points higher than in December. peatonal Córdoba recorded an even greater jump: it went from 9,2% to 17,2% during the same semester.
Miguel Rucco, referring to Asociación de Comerciantes de Calle San Luis, linked the results to a combination of weak sales, rising rents, and a greater share of taxes and services. He also noted that many contracts expiring at the end of July were not being renewed. To these factors, he added changes in shopping habits and the growth of e-commerce, which reduce the need to maintain some physical service locations.
A walk along the corridor shows how the index appears on the ground. A large clothing store in Sarmiento was offered for rent; another establishment closed after clearing merchandise at prices starting from 3.000 pesos. The property formerly occupied by Broker, the La Parada mini-market and the Mega clothing wholesaler are also vacant. Some entrepreneurs who ran several outlets decided to concentrate on one to reduce fixed costs.
The contrast with the health crisis is significant. At the beginning of 2021, the vacant premises could be counted on one hand, although during 2020, sales had fallen 20% among retailers and 14% among wholesalers. The corridor then maintained its role as a supply center for Rosario, its area of influence, and neighboring provinces. The current situation combines lower pedestrian traffic with closures affecting family businesses of several generations.
The immediate evolution will be observed in expiring contracts and in the owners' ability to adjust rents to lower billing. If renewals continue to fall, 10,2% may increase even when some properties receive new occupants. The next survey will allow measuring this movement; for now, calle San Luis lost in six months the occupancy it had managed to preserve even during the pandemic.
