Brussels leads the ranking of most attractive retail destinations in the Benelux compiled by international broker Cushman & Wakefield. Brussels was followed closely by Amsterdam and Antwerp. Maastricht and Bruges also received good to outstanding marks. The C&W Benelux Retail Monitor includes 30 main cities in the Benelux.

The Dutch cities Rotterdam and Amsterdam have the highest numbers of large-scale stores, but Belgium and Luxembourg score better overall, the survey found. However, the Netherlands takes the lead when it comes to the number of hotels, restaurants and pubs.

'Although Amsterdam and Antwerp are very strong shopping cities, they’re both limited by their respective sparsely populated harbour areas. On the other hand, Brussels benefits highly from its location. Surrounded by densely populated municipalities with high spending power, the city exerts a 360° attraction potential,' said Jef Van Doorslaer from the European Research Group of C&W.

Top-10 Ranking:

1. Brussels
2. Amsterdam
3. Antwerp
4. Rotterdam
5. The Hague
6. Ghent
7. Utrecht
8. Maastricht
9 . Groningen
10. Eindhoven