“During the first nine months of 2009 more than 50 shops closed because of the crisis. By the end of the year considering new openings and closures, the negative result will be of 20 thousand units”. This is the alarm launched by Confcommercio in a research presented by the Ufficio Studi.

Amongst the reasons of the crisis – explained the shopkeepers’ association – is the cost increase for companies and the decrease of purchases by Italian families. This phenomenon started in 2005, with a negative balance of some 3,300 companies, which literally exploded during the following years. The sector forecasts, by the end of 2009, 108 thousand jobs less. The study also underlines that between January and September of this year, the number of wages guarantee fund in the sector has increased by 330% and is equal to what has been conceded in the last three years.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute