Shopping street visitors drop 2.1% in first half of 2026, data shows

Shopping streets across the Netherlands drew fewer visitors in the first half of 2026 than in the same period a year earlier, according to counts from research bureau RMC. The average decline nationwide was 2.1 percent.

Weather was a major factor, the researchers said. The second quarter of 2025 featured persistent pleasant spring weather. The same period in 2026 brought more precipitation. A heat wave then arrived in June, prompting many people to spend their time differently.

April was the sole positive month, with 1 percent more visitors than in April 2025. June recorded the steepest drop, with 6 percent fewer visitors.

Large and medium-sized cities saw passerby numbers fall 2.2 percent. Small cities recorded a milder decline of 0.7 percent.

RMC tracks passerby numbers with sensors placed in shopping streets and shopping centers throughout the Netherlands.