Image: VOLKER Weihbold
14 million square meters are open to potential customers in Germany. Especially in medium-sized cities, the supply is disproportionately large: Wiener Neustadt leads the Austrian list with almost seven square meters of retail space per inhabitant.
Next come Wels (almost six square meters) and Steyr with about 5.5. For comparison: In the federal capital Vienna it is only two square meters. However, the retail space has been declining since 2013, as shown by current data from the market research company RegioData Research. In 2014, every inhabitant of Austria had an area of 1.77 square meters available for shopping, currently it is 1.56 square meters. The market research company expects this development to continue over the next few years, fueled by the rise of online retail and increased costs for staff, rent and energy.
RegioData Research attributes the overhang of retail space in cities such as Wels or Steyr mainly to the fact that these cities can exploit the potential of their surroundings. Peripheral shopping centers or vacancies, on the other hand, would play a lesser role.
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