There are more and more vacancies in shopping centers. This is because more and more stores are calling it a day. An important reason for this is the rise of the internet. More and more is being traded via online stores. Another reason why many shops are disappearing is the economic crisis. Municipalities hardly succeed in creating good policies on how to deal with vacancy. They often work past each other. More and more shops are going bankrupt and many shopping streets are becoming empty as a result. This is disastrous for the stores that are still there, because they will also have fewer customers. For various reasons, municipalities also benefit from the fact that there are no vacancies in the shopping street, because this also detracts from the image of the city or a neighborhood. Vacancy also often leads to neglect of a particular neighborhood. Furthermore, it is important, especially for the elderly, that certain basic facilities, such as a supermarket, are available in a village. It is often difficult for the elderly to travel and there are no longer supermarkets in many small villages. That causes many problems. A final reason why the government benefits from few bankruptcies is because it creates employment. These jobs are desperately needed, especially in times of crisis.
Competition between the shopping street and the internet
An important reason for the increasing vacancy rate is the advent of the internet. At first, many books and CDs were mainly sold via the internet, but more and more Dutch consumers now also buy shoes and clothing on the internet. These constitute the majority of the shops in the shopping street. In the beginning of the internet, many Dutch people were still hesitant to buy products on the internet, but that group is growing rapidly. In 2010, seven out of ten Dutch people bought at least one product on the internet. With the arrival of Ideal, payments have also become much easier.
Why more and more stores are empty
The increasing vacancy in shopping streets is not only due to the arrival of the internet. The economic crisis also means that consumers have less and less money to spend. Consumer confidence reached an all-time low in February 2013. Another cause for the vacancy is that many more retail chains are moving to large buildings on the outskirts of the city. The land is cheaper there and accessibility is often better. There is also more parking space available. Many analysts are afraid that the Netherlands will follow the path of the United Kingdom and the United States. The so-called high streets of many medium-sized cities are now empty.
What can be done about vacancy?
There are several things that stores can do. Many physical stores have also become active on the internet. The disadvantage is that they ultimately undermine the importance of their own physical store. Furthermore, many shops try to do something together. Sitting close together makes it more attractive for a customer to visit that area. Another option for a store is to specialize. In this way, a specific customer audience is attracted, making a store less dependent on casual visitors who walk in. At the same time, there are also accusations against the municipalities. They are often busy with new shopping centers, while there are already many vacancies in their own municipality or surrounding municipalities. It would therefore be good for them to think about how to deal with the existing profit capacity with the various municipalities in the region.