The graph shows the number of shops that closed and the number of new shops that opened in one country between 2011 and 2018.
Overall, the number of new shop openings decreased over the period, while the number of closures fluctuated, with a sharp drop in 2015 followed by a recovery.
In 2011, about 8,500 new shops opened, which was the highest figure on the graph, while around 6,500 shops closed. Openings then fell significantly to about 4,000 in 2012, before rising gradually to nearly 6,000 in 2014. After that, the number of new shops declined steadily, reaching approximately 3,000 in 2018.
Closures showed a different pattern. The figure increased from about 6,500 in 2011 to a peak of around 7,500 in 2013. It then fell slightly in 2014 and dropped dramatically to only about 500 in 2015. However, the number recovered strongly in the following years, reaching just over 5,000 by 2018.
In summary, while shop openings showed a downward trend, closures were unstable but ended at a relatively high level.
