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Fake shopfronts to boost local image
Stores that have long been empty are given a new lease of life with trompe-l'oeil images
TWO villages in Brittany have started dressing up their empty shopfronts with fake displays creating the optical illusion that they are open for business.
The clever trompe-l'oeil images cover up the front of five boutiques that have long ceased trading in Faouët and Guéméné-sur-Scorff in the Morbihan.
Guémené-sur-Scorff mayor René Le Moullec said: "We were looking for a way to bring new life to our town. Some landlords were reluctant at first, as they thought it could harm their chances of finding a buyer."
Five of the 12 empty shops that were approached said yes to the idea, which was funded by the local authority and Odesca, a scheme that supports local commerce and artisan projects, to the tune of €12,500.
Domfront, in Normandy, has been using the virtual shopfronts since 2011, on request from the local shopkeepers' union who feared that empty stores were driving customers away.
