The number of vacant retail properties fell last year to the lowest level in ten years: 6 percent are currently vacant. Which reports market researcher Locatus on Monday published figures. In 2022, the number of unused retail spaces will decrease by more than 1,700 from 14,482 to 12,722.
Since the beginning of 2011, not so few retail properties have been vacant. The decline has surprised Locatus, as the previous year was marked by “the war in Ukraine, resulting in raging inflation, skyrocketing energy prices and declining consumer confidence.” 2022 also started with a lockdown and there were significant staff shortages.
Store meters
When taking into account retail space, the decrease is even greater: from 6.6 to 5.4 percent, a difference of half a million square metres. In 2021, retail vacancy will also decrease, but the largest city centers will lag behind. Vacancy also fell here last year, partly due to the revival of international tourism. Some of the retail properties were also given a different destination, as a result of which the percentage of vacancy among the remaining stock of properties decreased. The cities with the most unused retail space are Roosendaal, Amsterdam and Leeuwarden.
Most vacancy was seen in the hospitality industry, which has been struggling for some time with staff shortages and financial problems. The number of toy stores actually increased. Director of Locatus Gertjan Slob expects that the bottom has now been reached in terms of vacancy. “In a healthy market, about 4 to 5 percent of the buildings are empty. That is because there are always some shifts, next to places that are no longer interesting for entrepreneurs. The vacancy rate will therefore not be much lower.”