More shops for the first time in years

Busy shop
© CBS / Nikki van Toorn
On 1 January 2022, there were 83.8 thousand physical shops in the Netherlands, 655 more than one year previously. This means that the number of brick-and-mortar businesses has risen for the first time since 2010. The food sector saw an increase in particular, while the sharpest decline was seen among bookshops. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on new, provisional figures.

Despite the slight year-on-year increase of 0.7 percent, the number of physical shops on 1 January 2022 was over 13 thousand lower than at the peak in 2010. Relative to 1 January 2020, just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of retail outlets did decline slightly (by 0.4 percent). Just as in 2020, the number of webshops rose substantially again in 2021, by 28 percent.

Physical shops, 1 January
JaarNumber of shops (x 1,000)
200690.0
200794.2
200896.1
200995.7
201097.1
201196.6
201295.6
201393.3
201490.6
201590.0
201689.5
201787.7
201887.0
201985.9
202084.1
202183.2
2022*83.8
* Provisional figures

Clothes shops constitute largest group

Clothes shops are the largest group by far, accounting for over 16 percent of all physical shops on 1 January 2022. This share did decline slightly relative to 1 January 2020 (17 percent). After clothes shops, shops selling other household goods and supermarkets are highest in number. Both hold a share of nearly 8 percent.

Physical shops, 1 January 2022*
Type winkelNumber of shops (x 1,000)
Clothes shops13.7
Shops selling other household goods6.7
Supermarkets6.4
Flower shops, pet shops, garden centres5.7
DIY stores5.1
Shops selling leisure goods4.9
Shops selling other food products3.9
Drugstores, orthopaedic shops3.6
Shops selling antiques and second-hand products3.4
Butchers and poulterers2.4
Shops selling footwear and leather goods2.3
Shops selling bread, pastries and confectionery products2.0
Off-licences1.9
Department stores, etc.1.7
Jewellery shops1.6
Tobacco shops1.3
Shops selling communication equipment1.2
Shops selling white and brown goods1.1
Shops selling carpets and curtains1.0
Other shops14.1
* Provisional figures

Mainly more food shops

The increase in the number of shops was mainly due to the rising number of shops in the food sector (+3.4 percent). The number of shops in the non-food sector remained virtually unchanged. Shops selling bread, pastries and confectionery products saw the highest increase: +4.7 percent. Supermarkets and shops selling other food products followed (both +4.4 percent). The number of bookshops and shops selling magazines and stationery declined most sharply, by 8.1 and 7.0 percent respectively. The decline in the number of bookshops in 2021 was more substantial than in the three preceding years combined.

Change in number of physical shops, 1 January 2022*
omschrijvingNumber of shops (year-on-year % change)
Shops selling bread, pastries and confectionery products4.7
Shops selling other food products4.4
Supermarkets4.4
Off-licences3.9
DIY stores3.1
Department stores, etc.3.0
Shops selling perfumes and cosmetics2.4
Fishmongers2.1
Greengrocers1.7
Shops selling other household goods1.2
Shops selling leisure goods1.2
Flower shops, pet shops, garden centres1.1
Jewellery shops1.1
Shops selling white and brown goods0.7
Shops selling antiques and second-hand products0.4
Butchers and poulterers0.4
Toy stores0.3
Tobacco shops0.2
Drugstores, orthopaedic shops0.1
Clothes shops-0.2
Shops selling fabrics and textiles-0.3
Shops selling carpets and curtains-0.5
Shops selling audio and video equipment-0.9
Shops selling electrical household appliances-1.6
Shops selling computers and software-1.7
Shops selling other items-2.1
Shops selling footwear and leather goods-2.8
Shops selling communication equipment-3.7
Shops selling magazines and stationery-7.0
Bookshops-8.1
* Provisional figures

Most municipalities see number of shops rising

The number of retail outlets increased in 57 percent of the municipalities last year. In percentage terms, the increase was largest in Vlieland (+18.2 percent), followed by Bergen (Limburg) and Renswoude (+17.5 and +15.8 percent, respectively). Oostzaan (-9.4 percent) and Lopik (-8.8 percent) recorded the largest decrease. Among the twenty largest municipalities, the number of shops grew most sharply in Haarlemmermeer (+4.3 percent) and Nijmegen (+2.5 percent). ’s-Hertogenbosch saw the sharpest drop (-1.2 percent).

On a provincial level, growth was strongest in Zuid-Holland (+1.5 percent) and Overijssel (+1.2 percent). Groningen was the only province where the number of retail outlets fell (-0.7 percent).

Change in number of shops, 2022* relative to 2021
GemeenteNumber of shops (%)
Aa en Hunze-2.3
Aalsmeer4.9
Aalten-4.0
Achtkarspelen-2.0
Alblasserdam2.5
Albrandswaard4.2
Alkmaar1.2
Almelo-0.3
Almere1.9
Alphen aan den Rijn3.2
Alphen-Chaam3.9
Altena-4.6
Ameland4.1
Amersfoort0.3
Amstelveen2.2
Amsterdam0.3
Apeldoorn0.7
Arnhem0.6
Assen-0.3
Asten-4.4
Baarle-Nassau-5.2
Baarn1.5
Barendrecht5.0
Barneveld-1.0
Beek (L.)6.2
Beekdaelen-3.2
Beesel1.8
Berg en Dal-3.3
Bergeijk1.3
Bergen (L.)17.5
Bergen (NH.)5.1
Bergen op Zoom-0.3
Berkelland0.0
Bernheze3.5
Best8.6
Beuningen-1.6
Beverwijk-0.6
Bladel-4.5
Blaricum-7.7
Bloemendaal-2.1
Bodegraven-Reeuwijk-5.3
Boekel-1.9
Borger-Odoorn1.1
Borne2.5
Borsele7.1
Boxtel4.4
Breda2.2
Brielle5.6
Bronckhorst-0.5
Brummen3.5
Brunssum-7.3
Bunnik6.1
Bunschoten1.6
Buren4.2
Capelle aan den IJssel3.2
Castricum4.7
Coevorden3.7
Cranendonck1.1
Culemborg0.7
Dalfsen2.3
Dantumadiel0.0
De Bilt-5.0
De Fryske Marren-2.3
De Ronde Venen2.4
De Wolden2.7
Delft3.4
Den Helder-3.7
Deurne2.4
Deventer1.6
Diemen1.0
Dijk en Waard-3.0
Dinkelland1.8
Doesburg1.3
Doetinchem0.3
Dongen6.9
Dordrecht1.4
Drechterland8.2
Drimmelen-1.9
Dronten5.5
Druten2.2
Duiven5.8
Echt-Susteren0.6
Edam-Volendam2.7
Ede-0.6
Eemnes-3.2
Eemsdelta-4.6
Eersel-2.5
Eijsden-Margraten2.0
Eindhoven0.8
Elburg-1.4
Emmen-1.4
Enkhuizen-4.0
Enschede1.7
Epe2.1
Ermelo-0.8
Etten-Leur-0.5
Geertruidenberg0.0
Geldrop-Mierlo-5.7
Gemert-Bakel0.0
Gennep-1.1
Gilze en Rijen4.7
Goeree-Overflakkee-1.5
Goes0.0
Goirle2.2
Gooise Meren3.3
Gorinchem0.4
Gouda3.2
Groningen (gemeente)-0.3
Gulpen-Wittem-1.4
Haaksbergen0.9
Haarlem0.8
Haarlemmermeer4.3
Halderberge-0.8
Hardenberg-1.5
Harderwijk7.1
Hardinxveld-Giessendam0.0
Harlingen-2.2
Hattem1.4
Heemskerk0.7
Heemstede-2.4
Heerde3.2
Heerenveen1.5
Heerlen0.4
Heeze-Leende0.0
Heiloo2.9
Hellendoorn2.4
Hellevoetsluis4.3
Helmond-2.0
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht4.6
Hengelo (O.)2.0
Het Hogeland-1.8
Heumen9.7
Heusden1.0
Hillegom-1.0
Hilvarenbeek2.3
Hilversum-1.1
Hoeksche Waard2.0
Hof van Twente4.7
Hollands Kroon0.4
Hoogeveen3.9
Hoorn-1.3
Horst aan de Maas-6.3
Houten-1.9
Huizen0.0
Hulst3.1
IJsselstein1.5
Kaag en Braassem1.9
Kampen0.0
Kapelle5.7
Katwijk-2.9
Kerkrade-0.5
Koggenland-5.8
Krimpen aan den IJssel5.2
Krimpenerwaard-1.2
Laarbeek5.3
Land van Cuijk0.5
Landgraaf1.4
Landsmeer-4.2
Lansingerland2.6
Laren (NH.)0.0
Leeuwarden0.9
Leiden-1.0
Leiderdorp0.8
Leidschendam-Voorburg13.3
Lelystad-0.9
Leudal4.5
Leusden2.7
Lingewaard1.7
Lisse2.6
Lochem-1.7
Loon op Zand2.2
Lopik-8.8
Losser2.8
Maasdriel-4.4
Maasgouw-5.1
Maashorst0.3
Maassluis2.0
Maastricht1.3
Medemblik1.1
Meerssen-2.4
Meierijstad2.2
Meppel-5.0
Middelburg (Z.)-1.8
Midden-Delfland13.5
Midden-Drenthe3.7
Midden-Groningen-1.8
Moerdijk3.1
Molenlanden-4.0
Montferland2.3
Montfoort14.6
Mook en Middelaar0.0
Neder-Betuwe-1.6
Nederweert1.1
Nieuwegein-6.4
Nieuwkoop4.2
Nijkerk0.5
Nijmegen2.5
Nissewaard-0.7
Noardeast-Fryslân-0.9
Noord-Beveland0.0
Noordenveld0.6
Noordoostpolder-4.7
Noordwijk1.5
Nuenen, Gerwen en Nederwetten3.2
Nunspeet1.1
Oegstgeest2.2
Oirschot-1.1
Oisterwijk-2.1
Oldambt-1.0
Oldebroek4.5
Oldenzaal3.9
Olst-Wijhe5.8
Ommen-2.0
Oost Gelre0.7
Oosterhout-2.9
Ooststellingwerf0.8
Oostzaan-9.4
Opmeer7.6
Opsterland-1.4
Oss1.7
Oude IJsselstreek6.3
Ouder-Amstel-1.8
Oudewater2.0
Overbetuwe6.8
Papendrecht-0.9
Peel en Maas3.7
Pekela4.9
Pijnacker-Nootdorp3.0
Purmerend-0.3
Putten-4.2
Raalte3.6
Reimerswaal-3.1
Renkum-3.3
Renswoude15.8
Reusel-De Mierden-7.7
Rheden0.0
Rhenen0.0
Ridderkerk-0.5
Rijssen-Holten-4.4
Rijswijk (ZH.)1.8
Roerdalen3.6
Roermond1.4
Roosendaal2.6
Rotterdam1.2
Rucphen9.0
Schagen-0.7
Scherpenzeel0.0
Schiedam1.6
Schiermonnikoog15.4
Schouwen-Duiveland0.8
's-Gravenhage (gemeente)1.5
's-Hertogenbosch-1.2
Simpelveld0.0
Sint-Michielsgestel1.0
Sittard-Geleen-3.1
Sliedrecht3.8
Sluis-1.4
Smallingerland1.0
Soest2.8
Someren3.1
Son en Breugel4.9
Stadskanaal0.5
Staphorst3.3
Stede Broec1.9
Steenbergen4.3
Steenwijkerland-0.4
Stein (L.)-0.9
Stichtse Vecht0.7
Súdwest-Fryslân-2.5
Terneuzen0.4
Terschelling0.0
Texel1.7
Teylingen0.0
Tholen1.8
Tiel0.0
Tilburg2.3
Tubbergen-3.6
Twenterand-2.3
Tynaarlo0.7
Tytsjerksteradiel4.6
Uitgeest2.2
Uithoorn-2.6
Urk0.0
Utrecht (gemeente)2.1
Utrechtse Heuvelrug-1.7
Vaals-1.4
Valkenburg aan de Geul-1.9
Valkenswaard0.0
Veendam-0.8
Veenendaal0.6
Veere6.1
Veldhoven-1.6
Velsen4.4
Venlo-0.9
Venray1.6
Vijfheerenlanden-1.9
Vlaardingen-1.7
Vlieland18.2
Vlissingen4.1
Voerendaal-4.0
Voorschoten-1.0
Voorst-1.7
Vught-0.8
Waadhoeke-1.0
Waalre1.7
Waalwijk3.1
Waddinxveen3.7
Wageningen1.3
Wassenaar-0.7
Waterland-6.7
Weert1.0
Weesp-2.3
West Betuwe-1.6
West Maas en Waal2.1
Westerkwartier-0.4
Westerveld2.7
Westervoort-8.6
Westerwolde3.3
Westland4.2
Weststellingwerf4.3
Westvoorne-1.3
Wierden-3.5
Wijchen-1.1
Wijdemeren-1.1
Wijk bij Duurstede3.4
Winterswijk2.4
Woensdrecht2.9
Woerden0.7
Wormerland8.3
Woudenberg1.8
Zaanstad1.3
Zaltbommel-1.9
Zandvoort5.2
Zeewolde-2.2
Zeist-0.3
Zevenaar0.5
Zoetermeer1.0
Zoeterwoude0.0
Zuidplas-1.4
Zundert0.0
Zutphen4.3
Zwartewaterland4.9
Zwijndrecht-2.5
Zwolle2.3
Rozendaal0
* Provisional figures