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last mo.

Germany’s Brick-and-Mortar Retail Set To Drop Below 300,000 Stores

Retail leaders seek policy relief in Berlin over weak demand, rising costs.

Stationärer Einzelhandel in Deutschland schrumpft weiter.
In Deutschland verschwinden immer mehr Läden, der Handel rutscht tief in die Krise.
Der Einzelhandel rechnet in diesem Jahr mit 4900 Ladenschließungen. Die Zahl der Geschäfte sinkt einer Prognose des Handelsverband Deutschland zufolge bis Ende 2026 auf 296.600. Vor zehn Jahren waren es demnach noch 366.800 Läden.
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Overview

  • HDE projects a net decline to 296,600 shops in 2026, with the store count dipping below 300,000 this year for the first time since reunification.
  • Roughly 70,000 outlets have vanished since 2015, including steep losses during the pandemic years 2021 and 2022.
  • Retail insolvencies hit 2,571 in 2025, a ten-year high reported by Allianz Trade, with cases spanning Görtz, Gerry Weber and Wormland, and Eterna set to cease operations in the summer.
  • Price-adjusted online sales grew 3.5% in 2025 while in-store revenues stagnated, intensifying pressure on physical retailers.
  • Only 14% of companies rate their situation as good and half expect falling revenues in 2026, as industry figures warn of visible inner-city vacancies and convene at the Handelsimmobilienkongress in Berlin with government participation.