According to the property owner Aachener Grund, the six-story former shoe store is now a mixed-use property. There is a Zalando outlet on the lower floors. A bouldering lounge was built on the upper floors. According to the real estate company, this offer particularly attracts young sports enthusiasts, families and people who otherwise have little connection to their city center to the city: “It works. And even though a lot of work, money and time goes into such a conversion, we would like to implement such concepts in other cities or act as a role model,” explains the company on LinkedIn.
In September 2020, the traditional Cologne shoe store Kämpgen closed two of its four branches in the cathedral city. The company separated from both the Hohe Straße 81 and Schildergasse 70 locations – where the Zalando outfit and bouldering hall are now located.
In September 2022, Zalando moved its outlet to Schildergasse. The online retailer previously had its shop at a different location in the cathedral city for six years.