Online shopping and the lack of generational change shake up the sector in Hegoalde, causing the loss of hundreds of small shops every year, both in the Basque Country and in Navarre.
Euskaraz irakurri: Euskadik bere txikizkako saltokien mensa galdu du azken hamarkadan
The lack of generational change and the gradual increase in online purchases has accelerated the loss of retail businesses, both in the Basque Country and in Navarre. However, this phenomenon is not new, but structural, ongoing, occurring since the economic crisis of 2008 and exacerbated by the pandemic, according to data from EITB Data.
This trend is shared throughout the territory of the Spanish State, but is more acute in the Basque Country than in the other areas, with a loss of 27% of commercial fabric from 2010 to 2021 compared to 15% in Navarre and 11% in the whole state. And it is that the Basque Country annually lost about 2.1% of its commercial structure in the years 2015-2019, while in 2019-2021 the loss increased to 3.9% per year.
Less small trade. EITB data.
But what kind of companies have been lost in the Basque Country? According to data from EITB Data, fashion retailers are the ones who have suffered the most from this setback, far compared to other forms of commerce.
Consequently, the commercial density of shops in Hegoalde has decreased year on year over the last decade: while in 2010 there were 11.2 shops of this type per thousand inhabitants in the Basque Country, there were 8.2 in 2022; in Navarre the trend is the same, but without such a decrease, from 10.2 shops per thousand inhabitants to 8.7.
But even after losing hundreds of small businesses, the commercial density in Hegoalde remains one of the highest in Europe, after Portugal and Italy.
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Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
