The city of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, has announced a one-year freeze on the opening of new "dark stores" in residential areas or nearby commercial streets.
“ In Amsterdam, as in all other major European cities, there is enormous growth in all these different companies that deliver purchases in 10 minutes ,” said a spokesperson for councilor Marieke van Doornick, who proposed the ban. However, “ with these companies, there is also a growing number of complaints from the neighborhood .”
Complaints
The spokesperson cited the noise and traffic of scooters arriving and departing from buildings, and the appearance of shops that are used only for delivery and not open to the public, often having tinted windows to signal this.
The spokesperson said the city aimed to reach an agreement on rules for next year, which would determine where "dark stores" are permitted.
As of January 14, there were 31 of these stores operating in Amsterdam, almost all of them open during the pandemic.
