Commercial desertification continues to represent an element of economic and social impoverishment of urban centers. And Sardinia is also fully affected by the phenomenon, which has led hundreds and hundreds of small business owners in the trade to close their businesses in recent years.

The alarm comes from Confcommercio , which has released the results of a research conducted in collaboration with the “Guglielmo Tagliacarne” Centre.

According to the study, between 2012 and 2024 in Italy "almost 118 thousand retail stores and 23 thousand street trading businesses have disappeared". And, as mentioned, the closures also affect the cities of the Island. Here are the numbers, city by city:

• In Cagliari , for example, in 2012 there were - between those inside the historic center and those outside - 2,329 retail businesses (stores of various goods, clothing, telecommunications, household products, pharmacies, street stalls, etc.), which rose to 2,338 in 2019. In 2024, however, their number decreased to 2,099.
• There was also a significant decline in Sassari : in 2012 there were 1,391 retail businesses in the city, which dropped to 1,192 in 2019 and 1,104 in 2024.
• In Carbonia, retail trade activities were 332 in 2012, 306 in 2019, 272 last year.
• And then Nuoro : 509 in 2012, 470 in 2019, 421 in 2024.
• Again, Oristano : 536 in 2012, 505 in 2019, 375 last year.
• Olbia , despite recording a decline (682 retail businesses in 2012, 696 in 2019 and 658 in 2024), is however the first city in Sardinia and the third in Italy for best "holding up", with a decrease in shops equal to "only" -8.6%.

Among the product sectors, the Confcommercio study highlights, in the historic centers the traditional activities are decreasing the most (fuel -42.1%, books and toys -36.5%, furniture and hardware -34.8%, clothing -26%).