The line graph illustrates the number of closed stores and newly opened stores in a particular area from 2011 to 2018.
Overall, both categories experienced a decline, but the decrease in newly opened stores was significantly more pronounced compared to the modest reduction in closures.
Between 2011 and 2018, there was a consistent decline in the number of shop closures, with a drop recorded almost every year. In 2011, approximately 6,300 store owners closed their businesses; however, there was little change in this figure the following year. By 2013, the number of closed shops peaked at around 7,000, after which there was a slight decrease. In 2015, the closures dramatically decreased to about 700 and continued to show steady figures over the next two years.
In contrast, newly established stores exhibited more volatile trends throughout the period. In the first year, the number of new openings reached its highest point at approximately 8,500. The following year saw a sharp decline to 4,000 new stores, but this figure rebounded to around 6,000 in 2014. However, in 2015, the number of openings declined again. For the next two years, this number stabilized before experiencing another decline in the final year of the period.