Hypermarkets Spirits Small Shops Away

The number of small Hungarian settlements without any retail stores doubled in the four years prior to 2007.

According to specialist there is a
strong concentration on the food retail market, last year the number
of shops fell by 3,200.
At the end of 2007 there were 162,500
stores operating throughout the country, while the number of
retailers declines, the country's total area of retail floor space
continues to grow. Between 2003 and 2007, the number of shops dropped
by an average of 0.4%, while floor space increased by 2.3%. Last
year, the retail area grew by a total of 363,000 square meters, to
18.1 million sqm.