2023-08-06 14:02:47
Neighborhood shops in our country are under heavy pressure and are increasingly disappearing from the streets. Especially small entrepreneurs in villages and small municipalities are forced to close their doors. Hundreds of stores have been involved in the past four years.
The traditional local shops are not only there for groceries, but also have a social function. For example, they are good for employment in the area and the entrepreneurs sponsor many associations and other festivities. Moreover, local shops are a godsend for the elderly and people without transport who are unable to go to the supermarket nearby.
These entrepreneurs survived the corona crisis because residents stayed close to home for their groceries. But retailers are still struggling to keep their heads above water. This is a major problem, especially in municipalities with up to five thousand inhabitants.
“This concerns, for example, shops in the border region,” says director Patricia Hoogstraaten of the Vakcentrum, the trade association for independent retail entrepreneurs. “Excise duties on products such as liquor, tobacco and other products are much lower in Germany. Consumers who live just east of Amersfoort prefer to get their stuff there because it’s cheaper.”
Neighborhood shops also have to deal with high inflation, rising wage costs and a shortage of personnel. “Due to inflation, rents have risen by an average of 14 percent. In addition, the minimum wage has also risen and collectively agreed wages have risen by 10 percent. That also means higher wage costs,” explains Hoogstraaten.
Ban on tobacco sales will be a noose for local shops
In addition, the sale of tobacco will be banned in supermarkets from the beginning of next year. That is also a major blow to the local shops, says Hoogstraaten. “We expect another five hundred shops to disappear. They will miss out on sales because of the ban and it is not so much regarding tobacco, but regarding additional groceries.”
Local entrepreneurs also have great difficulty finding successors. “The second and third generations are not keen on taking over. Finding a buyer is also often difficult. For many local entrepreneurs, this is no longer tenable and they stop.”
According to the director of the Vakcentrum, there are also positive developments. Smaller shops in large cities manage to keep their heads above water. There is an increase in the number of points of sale. “These stores have undergone a transformation by adapting to the wishes of the customer. This means that it is faster and easier to buy a ready-made sandwich via contactless payment.”
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