According to a study by the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, there are now almost 20 percent fewer retail stores in the center of the capital than there were in 2019, before the coronavirus crisis. :format(webp)/nginx/o/2024/07/23/16240869t1h85c3.jpg)
Store in Helsinki. Illustrative photo. Photo: Evija Trifanova
According to a study by the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, there are now almost 20 percent fewer retail stores in the center of the capital than there were in 2019, before the coronavirus crisis.
The study showed that the total turnover of stores also did not reach pre-coronavirus levels, writes the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti. However, the overall turnover of stores in the suburbs of Helsinki has risen to a higher level than before the start of the coronavirus crisis in 2020. The study was conducted in 2023.
According to the report, the city center's share of Helsinki's total retail turnover has been steadily declining since 2010.
According to Markku Lahtinen, director of advocacy at the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, 137 retail outlets have disappeared from the city center since 2019, causing businesses to lose around 200 million in turnover.
