Italy today faces a risk of commercial desertification which could soon lead to a decline in cities. Confcommercio is convinced of this. With reference to the data between 2012 and 2024, it is evident how the always less number of shops And street vendors in Italy represents a problem especially for the central areas of the cities compared to the suburbs.
A minor seal of the inhabited centers of the country of the country is also indicated. The reasons for this phenomenon are attributed to the increasingly high management costs and the explosion of the e-commerce phenomenon.
Farewell to 118 thousand shops in Italy
As reported by the analysis carried out by Confcommercio, in collaboration with the Guglielmo Tagliacarne Study Center, in the comparison between the data on the commercial desertification of 2012 and 2024 it emerges, in an evident way, that the scenario has become increasingly worsening.
“Almost 118 thousand retail stores (-21.4%) and 23 thousand ambulating trade (-24.4%) have disappeared”, while as regards the activities of accommodation and catering The trend is clearly contrary, +18.500.
The analysis also highlights that the worst data in terms of commercial desertification concern above all i Historic centers of the cities. The suburbs Instead, they show a greater ability of resilience.
“In the last 12 years, almost 31 thousand retail exercises have disappeared in the fixed seat, a reduction that is accompanied by that of the bank branches that between 2015 and 2023 went from 8,026 to 5,173 (-35.5%)”.
The differences between North and South
The phenomenon of commercial desertification in Italian cities is not distributed homogeneously throughout the country. Major incidence in the North. At the Center-South, however, the estate in the time 2012-2024 was greater. Here, therefore, that in the first five positions of the cities that most accused the blow we find:
- Ancona -34.7%;
- Gorizia -34.2%;
- Pesaro -32.4%;
- Varese -31.7%;
- Alessandria -31.1%.
The five most virtuous municipalities, however, are all of the central and southern area of the country:
- Crotone -6.9%;
- Frascati -8.3%;
- Olbia -8.6%;
- Andria -10.3%;
- Palermo -11.2%.
The causes of the phenomenon
It is interesting to note that behind the tightness of the shops in Italian cities there is a series of contributing factors. The first, as can be understood, is the increasing attention of consumers to acquired online. At the same time, physical closings, in fact, in the reference time of the reference, there is a growth in the number of e-commerce.
A more attractive solution for the greater convenience of use of the service, specific offer and, generally, higher level of economy.
In addition to the digitization of the purchase process, the increase in the increase in management costs:
- rents;
- bills;
- Local taxation.
Between tax crises, pandemic and stars inflation, the owners of the shops have seen their revenues reduce themselves, also due to the lower possibility of consumer expenditure. A perfect storm that made the game of commercial desertification.
The risk of the community loss
For the president of Confcommercio Carlo Sangallithe data displayed on commercial desertification represent a problem that Italy cannot turn their shoulders. This phenomenon “threatens livability, safety and social cohesion of our cities”, which is why institutions and businesses must offer support for activities of neighborhood. “Without a neighborhood trade – he concluded – there is no community”.
