There is a structural surplus of shops in one in four Dutch local authority areas, according to a new report by real estate agents group Dynamis.

The situation is particularly acute in areas where the population is shrinking or in towns which were designated as being of regional importance to the retail trade, Dynamis said. They have been particularly hard hit by the rise of internet shopping and improved transport links to the cities.

While the big four cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague have seen a 15% reduction in the number of shops, in the other 20 regions looked at in the report, there was a 13% rise in the number of retail outlets.

The bankruptcy of chains such as V&D, Macintosh, McGregor, Perry Sport and Mitra added a further 9% increase in retail space in key shopping areas, the report said.