Developments in the retail sector have become an integral part of urban and settlement geography studies via the central place theory. In more recent times, a variety of crisis-related challenges such as COVID-19, inflation, the energy crisis, the Ukraine war and dynamic population trends have not only caused vacancies in the retail sector, but also demanded extensive transformation efforts. These relate to the constant further development of business formats and location types, digitalization processes and solutions for sustainable sales and shopping from the perspective of retailers, consumers and relevant stakeholders from wholesale, urban and regional planning, politics and the resident population. Not only inner-city decay due to the closure of department stores, downgrading of offers or the decline of entire shopping centers can be observed, but also the rapid thinning out of basic services in rural areas due to the closure of village stores.

The following topics can therefore be derived:

1. which experiences exist as good-practice or worst-case in European comparison in order to derive either solutions for sustainable retail maintenance or also failed solutions for a revitalization of cities or rural areas? This concerns, for example, the conversion, mixed use or subsequent use of retail properties.

2. which digital changes are already being used as low-tech or high-tech solutions that are offered via self-scanning of goods in unmanned stores or grab-and-go stores? What is the acceptance of digital solutions among customers? Can digital solutions strengthen the competitive position of stores compared to online providers? Which digital offerings already exist in comparison to basic supply and lifestyle providers?

3. what governance structures are being developed to ensure an attractive and viable mix of brick-and-mortar stores in consultation with retailers and property owners?

4. what technical and graphical possibilities exist in the form of GIS, heat maps or evaluation of smartphone data or other innovative methods to record the development of locations or business formats in terms of their shopping attractiveness using big data?

5. which theoretical references from geography, marketing sciences, customer psychology, sociology or organizational sciences can be used to make the causes, the chronological sequence and the evaluation of the rise and fall of retail comprehensible?