Chain stores flock to outer boroughs while locations drop in Manhattan

National retailers are flocking to the outer boroughs while pulling back slightly in Manhattan, according to a new report.

The Bronx saw a 4.2 percent increase year-over-year in the number of chain stores located in the borough, jumping to 893 stores from 857, according to a new report by the Center for an Urban Future. Staten Island followed with a 3.7 percent year-over-year increase, to 421 stores from 406. The number of chain stores in Brooklyn increased by 2.3 percent, and Queens saw a 1.6 percent increase. Meanwhile, Manhattan saw a slight dip of .9 percent, dropping to 7,154 stores from 7,243.

Still, Manhattan continues to have the largest share of the city’s chain stores at 37 percent. Queens followed with 23 percent of the national retailer locations.

For the eighth year in a row, Dunkin’ Donuts remained the top national retailer in the city with a whopping 596 locations. Dunkin’ dominated over all other retailers in every borough except Manhattan, where rival Starbucks took the title as top chain store, followed by the also-ubiquitous Duane Reade.

Dollar Tree saw the most growth of any chain store, opening an impressive 63 stores in the past year, according to the report. Nearly half of the new stores — 22 — opened in Brooklyn. The retailer only had 10 stores in the city in 2015.

Meanwhile, Subway closed 15 locations in Manhattan in 2016, the largest drop for any national retailer in any of the boroughs. But Subway’s had a rough couple of years: Its revenue dropped 4.3 percent in 2015, and its spokesman, Jared Fogle, was disgraced.

Five retailers lost their last remaining location in the city in the past year, including Hollywood Tans and Office Max. Still, there are some constants in the ever-changing retail landscape: There are seven Chuck E. Cheeses in the city.