More and more storefronts are vacant. Plagued by high wage, rent and energy costs, a growing number of shops are closing their doors. Fashion and sports stores in particular are disappearing rapidly. If you get something in return, it is often fast food, a tattoo, nail or piercing studio or a coffee bar.
Of the latter, 28 were added in the first three months of this year, according to figures from data company Locatus that were compiled by real estate advisor Colliers. In the same period, 52 fast-food restaurants were added, spread across the 40 largest city centers.
All together there were 95 additional places where beautifying the body is the core business. This concerns tattoo and piercing shops (39), nail studios (32) and beauty salons (24).
Second-hand popular
Also on the rise: second-hand clothing stores (30) and repair shops (21). It is not clear whether it is out of luxury or out of pure necessity. The growth pales in comparison to the 106 clothing stores that disappeared. And the 24 sports shops and 48 shoe shops.
There are also holes in the traditional middle class. More bakers, liquor stores, butchers and fruit and vegetable shops disappeared than were added. The problem: when entrepreneurs retire, few are eager to take over the business. Not least because of the competition from supermarkets.
40 largest cities
After the corona crisis, vacancy rates fell due to catching up thanks to the disappearance of the measures and the wealth hoarded by consumers. In the 40 largest cities in the country, on average only one in twelve shops was empty last year.
In the first three months of 2024, the vacancy rate in city centers increased slightly to 8.3 percent. That is 2,500 retail properties, out of a total of 31,000. And these account for an area of approximately 60 football fields of empty bare meters of dreary concrete shop floors.
Smaller cities in trouble
Smaller cities in particular (with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants) suffer from high vacancy rates. Residents of these cities often go to larger cities for ‘fun shopping’. And for shopping they go to shops in the neighborhood.
This is clearly visible in Helmond, for example, where about 17 percent of the shops in the city center are for rent. While the vacancy rate in nearby Eindhoven is lower than the national average.
Long-term vacancy is also high in Helmond. This is the case if there has been no shop in a building for more than a year. The longer this takes, the worse for the entire shopping street.
Downward spiral
More empty stores means fewer visitors and therefore less income for the retailers still present. Their case then also gets into trouble. Resulting in more vacancy. This phenomenon is especially visible in the so-called approach streets.
Almost 5 percent of the shops there are vacant for a long time. This is because the large chains – if they still exist – nowadays often only have one main store. It acts as a showcase for the site, and is therefore prominently located in the main shopping street. The long-term vacancy rate there is also much lower.
Tags: Vacancy city center fashion sports shops fast food RTL News
