Italy retail sector faces decline as e-commerce shifts billions away from local economies

Confesercenti reports a significant decline in Italy's retail sector between 2019 and 2025, attributing the trend to the rise of international e-commerce platforms and the resulting commercial desertification. Nationally, over 111,000 retail businesses have closed, leading to an estimated 16.7 billion euro shift in consumer spending away from local economies.

Regional data highlights severe impacts: Puglia has lost over 6,200 shops, with Foggia seeing a 12.8% reduction; Abruzzo has seen a 14.9% decrease; and Piemonte has lost over 6,500 businesses. In Lombardy, Lecco reported an 18.2% drop in enterprises. The association notes that while local spending retains approximately 70% of value within the community, international marketplaces cause roughly 70% of that value to exit the local economic circuit.

To combat this, Confesercenti is promoting a popular legislative initiative to establish Special Proximity Economic Zones (ZESpro). This proposal seeks to provide tax incentives, financial support, and administrative simplifications to revitalize urban centers and small municipalities. The campaign aims to collect 50,000 signatures to bring the measure before Parliament.