European Capital of Small Retail 2026
Schlanders belongs to the finalists of the European competition European Capital of Small Retail (Vanguard Cities category). The award recognises towns that demonstrate how vibrant town centres, local retail, cultural use and urban quality of life can thrive beyond metropolitan areas.
Winning the title would not represent a funding programme or a marketing label. It would be European recognition of a long-term development path that Schlanders is consciously pursuing — with ambition, responsibility and openness.
Slow Shopping
The 7-Minute City
Sustainable Retail Ecosystem
We show how rural mobility and sustainable consumption create resilient retail.
Pedestrian-friendly connections that reduce car dependency while increasing footfall.
Permanent hubs on our high street hosting monthly workshops.
Retail as Social and
Environmental Infrastructure
In Schlanders, sustainability is not an abstract concept. It is part of everyday life, spatial planning and local retail culture.
Visibility & External Perception
During the title year, Schlanders will be:
- Communicated across Europe as a best-practice example
- Visible in EU channels, professional media and urban development networks
- Positioned as a positive counter-model to decline and rural depopulation
Local Economy as a
Shared Responsibility
Strengthening Local Retail
- Creates planning security for existing businesses
- Makes succession solutions more realistic
- Increases attractiveness for new, small-scale business models
Attractiveness for People & Businesses
- Becomes more attractive for returners
- Appeals to freelancers, creatives and small enterprises
- Indirectly strengthens existing employers
Be the Next Boss
Objective
Prevent vacancies and enable generational transition in local retail.
Key Elements
- Mentoring for successors and retiring owners
- Legal, financial and organisational guidance
- Temporary retail labs and pop-ups
- Low-threshold access to entrepreneurship
European Dimension
Creation of an open-source Succession Toolkit for Small European Cities, adaptable across legal systems.
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Digital Tools that Strengthen
Local Value Creation
Digitalisation in Schlanders is not about replacing people — it is about empowering them.
Retail Futures Lab
Objective
Strengthen the future viability of existing retail through qualification, sustainability and digital tools.
Includes
- Workshops and coaching (energy, trends, consumer behaviour)
- AI in daily retail practice, social commerce, digital tools
- Consulting on sustainable business models
- Pilot businesses (appointment booking, online services)
European Reach
- Hybrid formats with 150+ European participants
- Integration into the ECoSR Retail Exchange Programme
- Open digital archive: Alpine Retail Laboratory
Digital Twin of the Downtown Shopping Street
Objective
Create an inclusive online-offline ecosystem for the town centre.
Includes
- Shared digital presence of the town centre
- MIAR App as a gateway to social commerce
- POI maps and service visibility
- Digital sales channels for local businesses
- Training for non-digital-native shop owners
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A Town Centre Designed
for Everyday Life
Slow Shopping Schlanders
Make regional value chains, sustainable mobility and local production visible and tangible.
- Storytelling of regional products
- Regional themed weeks (apple, grain, herbs)
- Cooperation between retail, gastronomy and agriculture
- Klostergarten as a "third place"
Village Life & Quality of Stay
- Public showcase days and pop-ups
- Slow shopping routes
- Thematic action days
- Connection between retail, gastronomy and culture
- Use of existing cultural formats
Education & Networks
- Guided walks and networking formats
- Evening formats at intersection of retail & culture
- Micro-events across the year
- European networks (TEH, ECHN, Coworkation Alps)
A Model
Beyond 2026
Schlanders does not aim to build a utopia. It documents normal life as a scalable, resilient model for rural Europe.
Permanent Infrastructure
Retail Futures Lab at BASIS, Digital Twin as municipal infrastructure, succession programmes as permanent services.
Open Knowledge
The Schlanders Rural Retail Blueprint — tools, methods and lessons shared openly.
European Network
Schlanders as an active New European Bauhaus Ambassador and Vanguard City.
We open our doors.
We share what works — and what doesn't.
We listen as much as we speak.
Press &
Media
Press Kit Includes
- Project overview (1-pager)
- Key facts & figures
- High-resolution images with credits
- Logos
- Programme overview 2026
- Media contact
Press Statement
"Schlanders has been selected as a finalist for the European Capital of Small Retail award. The nomination recognises the town's long-term commitment to vibrant town centres, local economies and community-led development in rural Europe."