In Sardinia, for every new store that opens, more than three close. These are worrying figures, which make the island one of the Italian regions most exposed to what is called the phenomenon of “commercial desertification”.
The alarm was raised by Confesercenti , which conducted an analysis of chamber data, finding a negative trend throughout Italy. In some regions, however, the process of commercial desertification is more marked.
The worst ratio between new business registrations and closures (1 to 4) is found in the Marche , which risks reaching “zero openings ” in 2031. Next in the negative ranking are Sicily (one new opening for every 3.8 closures), Lazio (1 to 3.7) and, as mentioned, Sardinia (with a ratio of 1 to 3.5) , in fourth place ahead of Umbria (1 to 3.2).
For Confesercenti, this is the strongest hemorrhage in the last ten years. And it makes 2024 a year to forget. At a national level, over 61,000 businesses have closed their doors permanently while just over 23,000 have opened, a ratio close to 1 opening for every 3 closures, the worst in the last ten years.
As for the causes, Confesercenti points the finger at the slowdown in consumption, the lack of credit and the demographic curve . If the trend does not reverse, traders warn, the risk is to reach zero openings as early as 2034.
This is, comments Patrizia De Luise , national president of Confesercenti, both "an enormous problem on both an economic and social level. And unfortunately, up until now little or nothing has been done to stem the disappearance of small shops".
"The increasingly concrete prospect is that the distribution channel will be definitively marginalized - warns De Luise - with the risk of transferring total control of commercial distribution to a few monopolists and to large multinationals that dominate online platforms. A damage also for consumers".
(Online Union)