The line graph illustrates the trends in the openings and closures of various shops within a country from 2011 to 2018.
Overall, the data indicates a predominant trend of shop closures outpacing openings during the observed period, with significant fluctuations in both categories.
In 2011, the number of shops that opened was approximately 7,500, while closures stood at around 8,500. The year 2012 witnessed a decrease in openings to 6,500, contrasting with a slight decline in closures to 7,500. A rise in openings was noted in 2013, reaching 7,000, although closures also increased marginally to 6,500. The year 2014 experienced a sharp decline in new establishments, with only 4,000 shops opened amidst 8,000 closures. Subsequently, 2015 marked a notable shift, as openings slightly surpassed closures, totaling 4,000 openings against 3,000 closures. This pattern remained unchanged until 2017, when the figures converged, each being recorded at 6,000. However, a further decline in openings was evident in 2018, which saw only 5,000 new shops inaugurated.
Conversely, shop closures exhibited substantial fluctuations throughout the period. Beginning with approximately 8,500 closures in 2011, this figure decreased to 6,000 in 2012. A peak in closures was observed in 2013, with 7,000 shops closing, followed by a slight decrease to 6,500 in 2014. In 2015, closures dramatically fell to just 3,000, reflecting a peak in net openings during that year. However, in 2016, closures rebounded to 5,500, whilst 2017 saw stabilization with both openings and closures at 6,000. Finally, in 2018, closures declined to 5,500, yet openings decreased further to 5,000, continuing the trend of shop closures exceeding openings markedly.