18% of Austrian Municipalities Lack Local Grocery Stores

18% of Austrian Municipalities Lack Local Grocery Stores

 

APA/dpa/Jens Büttner

A new study by KMU Forschung Austria reveals that, while access to essential goods is generally convenient for most Austrians, certain rural areas still face challenges in securing local grocery providers. In 2022, 382 municipalities, or 18% of all Austrian municipalities, were without a local grocer. Although this represents a drop of 23 municipalities compared to the previous year, Christian Prauchner, Chairman of the WKÖ Food Trade Association, noted that this is still a “significant number.”

The study highlights a shift in the long-standing trend, as the number of municipalities without local grocery stores had increased by over 6% between 2011 and 2021. In recent years, rural areas have been the most affected by the decline in local grocers, while urban centers have seen growth. Smaller and more remote communities, particularly those with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, have been hardest hit by this trend, a phenomenon known as the “death of small village shops.” Younger generations often see little incentive to take over businesses in these areas, explained study leader Wolfgang Ziniel.

However, Ziniel stressed that not all rural regions face shortages of grocery stores. In fact, the study revealed a surprising number of municipalities near urban centers lacking local grocers. The density of grocery stores varies significantly across Austria’s provinces. For example, in Burgenland, 30% of municipalities lack a grocery store, compared to just 7% in Styria. In Vienna, however, access to local grocery stores is consistent and widespread.

The study focused solely on the grocery sector and did not account for pharmacies or gas station shops. Additionally, the findings do not reflect the impact of the energy and inflation crises that have significantly influenced the retail sector post-2022. Ziniel mentioned that factors such as commuter populations and regional topography might play a role in the varying concentration of local grocers and could be explored in future research.

 

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