The bookshops are disappearing from the streets, but in other branches – especially shops that sell food – the number of shops increased. For the first time in ten years, the number of stores in the Netherlands increased by 665 last year. At the beginning of this year, our country had about 83,800 brick stores.
New (confectionery) bakers are most often added: on 1 January of this year there were 4.7 percent more shops in bread, pastries and confectionery than one year previously. The number of supermarkets, liquor stores, fishmongers and greengrocers also increased. Clothing stores make up the largest group of all stores. About one in six stores sell clothing. Household goods stores and supermarkets both account for 8 percent of the store base.
Bookstores and shops selling literature and stationery fell the most, with 8.1 percent and 7.0 percent respectively. The decline in the number of bookstores in 2021 was greater than in the three preceding years combined, CBS reports.
In the corona period, the number of stores has decreased because branches will disappear in 2020. Compared to the beginning of 2020, there are 0.4 percent fewer stores. In 2010, the number of stores in the Netherlands peaked. At that time there were more than 13,000 brick shops more than at the beginning of this year.
While the number of physical stores has been declining since 2010, the number of online stores has increased significantly. In 2020, online shopping already took off due to corona. The number of online stores also grew strongly last year, by 28 percent.
The number of shops increased in 57 percent of the municipalities last year. In percentage terms, the increase was largest in Vlieland (18.2 percent), followed by Bergen (Limburg) and Renswoude with 17.5 and 15.8 percent. Oostzaan (-9.4 percent) and Lopik (-8.8 percent) experienced the largest decrease.
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