The line chart illustrates the number of new stores that opened and existing stores that closed in a particular country between 2015 and 2020.
Overall, the number of new store openings generally declined over the period, while the number of store closures showed an upward trend. Notably, store closures surpassed openings from 2018 onwards.
In 2015, 1,800 new stores were opened, which was the highest figure recorded. This number then steadily decreased each year, falling to 1,600 in 2016 and further to 1,400 in 2017. The downward trend continued, with 1,300 new stores opening in 2018, 1,200 in 2019, and reaching its lowest point of 900 in 2020.
Conversely, store closures started at a lower figure of 1,200 in 2015. After a rise to 1,500 in 2016 and 1,700 in 2017, there was a slight dip to 1,600 in 2018. However, the number of closures then increased significantly, reaching 2,000 in 2019 and peaking at 2,500 by the end of the period in 2020.