Number of shopping malls in Germany 1965-2024

Germany has 506 shopping malls. German shopping centers are an expected fixture of urban life and a popular retail destination for both locals and visitors alike. The share of malls located in rural areas and the outskirts of cities has remained very low in comparison to urban spaces.

From 2 to 509 malls

Currently the malls occupy a national total of around 16.37 million square meters of retail space. Back in 1965, the number of German shopping centers was recorded at just two for the whole country. Since then figures have changed significantly. Within just five years, there were 14 shopping centers open to consumers. Such a location offers not only actual shopping opportunities in numerous stores, but may include other establishments such as restaurants, cafes, venues for activities and games, rides. It all depends on the size of the shopping center.

The fall of the mall?

While the number of shopping centers in Germany has indeed exploded during the last four decades, it has also remained relatively stable as of late, reflecting the rise of online retail and e-commerce. Shoppers see advantages both in physical shopping and purchasing online, with combinations of the two still remaining common in consumers' national retail activities. In 2022, 60 percent of respondents to a survey rated in-store shopping as the best overall experience, compared to 40 percent who said the same about online shopping.