Evening shopping hours in the Netherlands decline as retailers adjust to changing trends

In the past decade, the popularity of the koopavond, the traditional shopping evening in the Netherlands, has been steadily declining, according to NOS. Once a staple of Dutch retail culture, this weekly event, typically held on Thursday or Friday evenings from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, now sees fewer shoppers and has led many retailers to shorten their hours or close entirely.

Recent data from openingstijden.nl reveals a dramatic drop in the number of clothing stores remaining open after 8:00 PM. In 2015, around 40 percent of clothing shops stayed open until 9:00 PM on koopavond. Today, that figure has plummeted to just over 20 percent. Similarly, the number of drugstores staying open after 8:00 PM on Thursday evenings has nearly halved.

The decline in foot traffic on these evenings has been evident for several years. Huib Lubbers, an expert at RMC, a retail consultancy that tracks the number of shoppers on koopavond, noted that in most cities, the number of people shopping on Thursday evenings has dropped by more than 20 percent since the financial crisis of 2008.

Meanwhile, Sunday shopping has grown in popularity, according to retailers. Shoppers are increasingly using Sundays to combine shopping with leisure activities, said Dirk Mulder, a retail expert at ING. “During the week, people are often busy with work, and by the evening, they don’t have the energy to go shopping,” he explained to NOS.

Additionally, people are increasingly shopping during the day on weekdays, as flexible working hours allow more opportunities to visit stores during off-peak hours.

However, the concept of the koopavond is reportedly not entirely dead. According to a study by payment service Klarna, the most popular time for online shopping is still 9:00 PM. Wednesday evenings are the peak time for online purchases, followed by Sundays and Mondays.

The idea of a koopavond dates back to the 1950s when weekly wages were paid on Thursdays. Retailers extended their hours to take advantage of the influx of spending power. "There was a need for an extra shopping moment, apart from the weekend, as people had more money to spend," explained Mulder.

In 1976, the Winkelsluitingswet (Store Closing Law) established that one koopavond per week was allowed. Nearly a decade later, Sunday shopping was introduced on a limited basis, despite objections from Christian political parties.

The Winkeltijdenwet (Shopping Hours Act) of the mid-1990s gave stores more flexibility in setting their hours, as long as they remained open between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. The law also prohibited Sunday openings, though municipalities were granted the authority to permit them.

Two years ago, many retailers reassessed their opening hours due to the rising minimum wage and inflation. Paul te Grotenhuis of InRetail explained that businesses started focusing on the most profitable hours of operation. "Retailers became more conscious of running their business efficiently," he told NOS.

Supermarkets are one example of businesses that have adjusted to consumer demand. The number of supermarkets staying open after 9:00 PM has increased from 8 to 22 percent, according to openingstijden.nl.

Despite these changes, Lubbers believes the koopavond should not disappear altogether. "Shops should remain as open as much as possible. They must compete with the internet, which is open 24/7," he stated. To attract more shoppers, Lubbers suggested making city centers more appealing in the evening through initiatives like free parking, restaurant deals, or theater events.

Arthur Feenstra, owner of the men's fashion chain OFM, agrees with Lubbers. His store relies on the koopavond for business, and he has noticed a decline in customer numbers as neighboring stores close. "When only half the stores are open, it’s no longer attractive for consumers," Feenstra said to NOS. "We also suffer from this."

To maintain a sense of community and make koopavond more appealing, Feenstra organizes special events such as "dining among the clothes" and a football café. However, he noted that not all entrepreneurs are willing to collaborate. "We need to work together to prevent growing vacancy rates," he said.