The line graph above illustrates the number of shops that closed and the number of new stores that opened in a country over a period of seven years, from 2011 to 2018.
Overall, both the number of shops that closed and the number of stores that opened during this period have decreased. However, the number of closures significantly outnumbered the openings.
By the end of the period, the total number of both closed and opened stores was lower than at the beginning. In 2011, there were about 8,500 stores in operation. This number fell to 4,000 in 2012 and later increased to 6,000 stores in 2014, but ultimately dropped to 3,000 by the end of 2018. The number of shops that closed in 2011 was 6,500, which rose to 7,200 in 2013, before decreasing to 5,000 shops closed by 2018.
The peak of shop closures occurred in 2013, reaching 7,200 closures, while the lowest point was in 2015 when only 500 shops were shut down. The total difference in closures amounted to 6,500 stores. Conversely, the number of new stores opened was highest in 2011 at 8,500, but it fell to 3,000 by the end of 2018. The total difference in the number of new stores that opened throughout this period was only 5,500.