Gastronomy remains a growth driver – but more restrained
This year, gastronomy remains one of the few sectors with clear expansion efforts, albeit no longer as dynamic as in previous years. In particular, smaller and trendy concepts such as “Kenny’s” (+ 150 % since last year) and “Kaiser’s” are driving growth – the latter has five new locations in the pipeline for 2025. International fast food chains are also currently recording strong growth rates: KFC is expanding with a year-on-year increase of 73%, followed by Noodle King (+27%) and Dunkin’ Donuts (+24%).
At the same time, however, there is also clear consolidation, as not everything is going well: “Segafredo” is withdrawing from many locations, “Nordsee” is downsizing by 40 % and Subway is also following the trend of store closures. The sector is reorganizing – with a clear focus on lucrative locations and contemporary concepts.
Grocery retail affected by store closures for the first time
The grocery retail sector has also been affected this year and is increasingly focusing on location optimization. Unimarkt has closed almost 20 stores, followed by Nah & Frisch with similar declines. The Billa Group reduced its store network by 24 branches – only Penny is expanding slightly. The strategy is clear: instead of a nationwide presence, grocery retailers are increasingly focusing on more profitable locations and optimizing their store concepts for changing market conditions.
Increasing closures, even in branches that were thought to be stable
For a long time, bakeries were considered to be expanding, but now a creeping erosion is setting in: Back-werk has closed a third of its branches, M-Preis is reducing its baguette locations. Fitness studios, once a flourishing sector, are also stumbling – Mrs. Sporty, for example, has significantly fewer locations than in the previous year.
Specialist retailers in the sports, fashion and jewelry segments are being hit particularly hard. More and more consumers are buying online or from large generalists, which is threatening the existence of many specialist retailers. Gigasport has closed stores and Sport 2000 had to file for bankruptcy. The lingerie sector also remains under pressure: following the Palmers insolvency, Calzedonia and Intimissimi are now also shrinking their store network.
Online retail is increasing the pressure on bricks-and-mortar stores. Platforms such as Temu are attracting customers with a huge variety of products – lingerie, sporting goods and jewelry have long been available at the click of a button. The jewelry retailer “Bijou Brigitte” is responding by closing around 30 stores. The shift towards digital shopping is putting specialist retailers under increasing pressure.
Discounters show first signs of slowing down
After years of rapid expansion, the leading non-food discounters – Action, Tedi, Kik, NKD and Takko – are pausing for breath for the first time. Their store network has grown by a third since 2019, but overall growth is now stagnating. The number of stores remains almost constant. Only Tedi continues to focus on expansion with 16 new stores, followed by Action with +8. Thomas Phillips is also expanding its store network slightly.
New locations: strategic adaptation instead of uncontrolled expansion
Despite the downward trend in many places, there are also signs of adaptation and innovation. Mono-brand stores are increasingly focusing on shopping centers, while food retailers are optimizing their store strategies. Pop-up stores and car showrooms such as those of “Polestar” and “Cupra” are making creative use of vacant spaces. In Vienna in particular, the huge “Silhouette” flagship store shows that inner-city locations are still attractive.
A striking feature of the current new openings is the preferred sales area of 101-200 sq m, while at the same time niche offers for specific target groups are becoming increasingly relevant. These developments once again underline the urgent need for retailers to adapt to changing consumer habits and fill vacancies creatively.
