Interview with Manu Konsbruck, Director of La Belle-étoile

Why does the La Belle-étoile shopping centre bear this name? Manu Konsbruck, a shopping centre manager for 11 years, tells us how it came to be. Or not. We'd like to take this opportunity to wish Belle-étoile a happy anniversary. 50 years is something to celebrate!

Dans le téléphone de Manu Konsbruck

I'm the manager of the Belle-étoile shopping centre. I joined the Cactus group 26 years ago. I started out in the purchasing team, then moved on to the marketing team. I finally became centre manager in 2013.

Tell us about your first phone.

My first phone was a Motorola 4500x. It was a big black box that I had in the car: it was a mobile and not a mobile: heavy, complicated and not very good quality.

And now, team Android or team Apple?

I'm team Apple. At the beginning, I was team Android with Blackberry, but now I'm completely Apple, for both the phone and the tablet.

What's your favourite app?

Whatsapp. To keep in touch with friends. The second is Instagram, because La Belle-étoile has a professional account.

You, director of the La Belle-étoile shopping centre, tell us where the name comes from.

The name La Belle-étoile is still a big mystery. Nobody in the group really knows. But I could tell you why it's called Cactus: it's as the saying goes, ‘qui s'y frotte s'y pique’.

In an increasingly digital world, are you for or against online shopping?

What do I do personally? Well, I don't shop online. I prefer contact with the shop assistants, advice on the spot and, at the same time, as a shopkeeper and director of La Belle Etoile, I support Luxembourg trade. So I'm rather against online shopping.

La Belle-étoile, a committed shopping centre. Tell us about your values.

La Belle-étoile is very socially committed. Throughout the year, we support a lot of charities, which we open the door to when they exhibit at La Belle-étoile. We also support them financially. We have many other values, such as a warm welcome, quality and the fact that we organise events in the gallery every week, which sets us apart from our competitors.

There are 105 retailers. What are your selection criteria?

We really focus on national and international brands, to find the right mix and meet all the needs of a very broad customer base. The fact that all the units are let at La Belle-étoile shows that we are still a very popular shopping centre.

2024 sees the 50th anniversary of the centre. How do you explain this longevity?

It's a question of constantly rethinking the centre. Over its 50 years, La Belle-étoile has undergone three major extensions. The last one was in 2013. We're always listening to the needs of our customers and retailers. Decisions are taken very quickly because we're on the spot. That's why La Belle-étoile is what it is today, and why we're still here. And I hope we'll be here for many years to come.

Are there any festivities planned?

Yes, we're celebrating our fiftieth anniversary in style. Throughout the year, we're organising quite a few competitions, and we're giving away some great prizes to all our customers, to whom we owe these fifty years of existence, on the weekend of 2 to 4 May. It's our anniversary weekend, with lots of entertainment, DJs, musical groups... We're expecting lots of you at La Belle-étoile. We look forward to welcoming you and celebrating with you.