
Supermarkets have disappeared en masse from small Dutch villages since 2012, with rural communities bearing the brunt of the decline. In towns and villages with populations of 10,000 or fewer, 16 percent of supermarkets—one in six—have closed over that period, according to a report published Monday .
The trend has hit the smallest villages hardest, where the loss of grocery stores has been described as a "massacre" by local observers. The data, compiled from official records, shows a steady reduction in access to essential food retail in rural areas, leaving residents with fewer options for daily necessities. The closures have not been offset by new openings, deepening the gap in service availability for smaller populations.
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