Italy faces commercial desertification as essential shops close

Data from Confcommercio and Confesercenti reveal a significant decline in essential retail and services across Italy. Since 2019, approximately 111,000 retail businesses and 24,000 bars have closed nationwide.

The phenomenon of commercial desertification has left 1,064 municipalities without any grocery stores and 566 municipalities without a single bar. Additionally, nearly 3 million residents live in towns without fuel stations, 2.5 million lack a tobacco shop, and over 1.5 million live without small food markets.

In over 5,000 Italian municipalities—nearly two-thirds of the country—at least one type of basic proximity service that was previously available has disappeared. This includes essential services such as bakeries, butchers, newsstands, and hairdressers. Confesercenti is advocating for the creation of special proximity economic zones to combat this trend and support local employment and community services.