The number of stores also decreased in large cities, where the corresponding figure is 11 percent.
Elisabet Elmsäter Vegsö, business policy expert at Swedish Trade, says in a press release that she believes the trend can be broken by including trade in issues related to urban planning.
"Without trade, not only jobs and tax revenue disappear, but also the vibrant city. The fact that the number of stores is decreasing is worrying, but we are convinced that the trend can be broken," says Elmsäter Vegsö.
The report “The Retail Map – How Sweden Trades” states that the majority of Swedes’ shopping continues to take place in physical stores. At the national level, physical shopping accounts for 86 percent of retail sales. E-commerce accounts for 14 percent.
