Shop dying

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Under the store dying means the structural business closure of small and medium-sized, mostly owner-operated shops and retailers . Since the 1990s, it has mainly been observed in the centers of small and medium- sized towns and on the outskirts of large cities . Causes include new forms of the stationary trade , the competition of the centers and the online trading . With the shops dying out, cities are losing their traditional "main retail function" and are losing their radiance in the competition for residents and guests, specialists, companies and investors.

It is estimated that around 50,000 stores will close forever by 2020. The result is vacant shops in the city centers, which in some small towns already account for 40% of real estate. Occasionally, concerns about the emergence of "ghost towns" are expressed in this context. A transformation of former shops into living space is generally observed.

Ultimately, the death of shops is likely to have started as early as the mid-1970s with the disappearance of the mom and pop shops . At the time, it mainly affected the food retail trade , which the emerging supermarkets with their lower prices soon dominated. With the expansion of the range of supermarkets and discounters, this gradually affected other specialist shops as well. With the emergence of online retailing, the number of shops dying accelerated from the end of the 1990s.

Bookstores , watchmaker's shops and photo shops are particularly affected , with the latter two also involving new technologies that are no longer dependent on these shops. In the food trade, bakeries and butchers are also closing forever in favor of larger businesses and supermarkets. Clothing and shoe stores, which are dependent on the goods being tried on, are somewhat less affected.

The causes of shop dying include:

The shopkeeper can also enter the Internet business on an individual basis. Goods can be ordered online using Click and Collect , for example , and picked up in the store. The shops can also advertise that the goods are immediately available, can be touched and tried on and that appropriate personal advice takes place in specialist shops.

In addition, it is proposed to reinvent the city based on its functional diversity with gastronomy , services and culture . With a fascinating mix of core and additional services, service environment, relationships and brands, differentiation from the competition is possible. Even in shrinking markets, innovative concepts could offer incentives and fill lucrative niches. Smaller cities in particular should focus on selected stakeholder groups. Ideally, shopping with a high level of experience for customers would contribute to the quality of life.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Jürgen M. Boedecker: Shop dying - reinventing the city. In: Municipal. June 25, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c d Retail: Online retail is booming - and the dying shop continues. In: Zeit Online . August 26, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016 .
  3. ↑ a b Germany is threatened with large shops dying. In: The world . September 4, 2015, accessed October 16, 2016 .