Grocery stores record the most start-ups

Zürich, August 2024

A study by CRIF AG reveals that more new stores have opened than closed in the past ten years. Online retail saw significant growth, while brick-and-mortar stores have also recovered.

After years of store closures, CRIF AG reports positive news from the bricks-and-mortar retail sector: according to a study, more stores have been opened in the past ten years than have disappeared. According to the study, 32,275 new stores opened, while 26,926 had to close. This results in an increase of 5,349 stores and growth of 16.6 percent overall. This is according to a press release from the business information agency.

Online retail achieved the highest growth rate with net growth of 42.4%. A “real growth spurt” was recorded during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021 in particular, according to the report. In 2022, the number of new start-ups fell by more than 30%, while new online retailers were added again in 2023.

In terms of sectors, food suppliers (2547 new stores) are in the lead. They are followed by clothing stores (2,56), other food retailers (1846) and magazine stores (1752).

The greatest loss of stores is in consumer electronics and computers, bakeries, butchers and clothing stores.

The CRIF study took into account all retail businesses and online stores entered in the commercial register that were founded and deleted during the ten-year period.

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