Younger consumers do still like to shop in physical stores, preferably in the city. Experience and advice are decisive factors. They prefer ‘Instagrammable’ outlets that bridge the digital channel.
Fewer physical shops
For years, the total number of physical shops has been decreasing. In the Netherlands, between 2015 and August 2024, it was a decline of almost 23,000 retail outlets or 10%, while vacancy rates in retail real estate are also increasing again. There are big differences between sectors though: in food, the shrinkage was only 3%, in fashion it was 22%, the number of antique shops fell by 46%.
