Brescia Province Retail Shrinks: 1,361 Fewer Shops Since 2019, €204M Wealth Lost

Retail in the province of Brescia lost 1,361 shops between 2019 and 2025, falling from 12,153 to 10,792 businesses (down 11.2%), according to Confesercenti. The association estimates the contraction has cost the local economy €204.15 million in wealth. The figures are being released ahead of a nationwide petition drive on September 9–10, with two information booths in Brescia: September 9 from 16:30 to 19:30 in Via Salgari 2, and September 10 from 8:30 to 12:45 in Piazza Vittoria at the corner with Via XXIV Maggio.

In Brescia city, retail businesses dropped from 2,667 to 2,380, a loss of 287 activities (-10.8%), with more than €43 million in estimated value removed from the area. Employment trends moved differently: in the province, retail staff fell by 1,272 (from 31,565 to 30,293, -4%), but employees rose by 1,254 (+7%) while independent workers fell by 2,526 (-18.6%). Confesercenti argues that closures reduce not only jobs but also independent services and local economic relationships, while it says e-commerce can be an opportunity if integrated with physical stores—unlike consumption shifts to large international marketplaces. The petition backs the popular initiative “Measures for the urban regeneration of retail and nearby services,” aiming for 50,000 signatures; in Italy it is near 40,000, and in the broader region (Lombardy East) Confesercenti reports 2,572 retail businesses disappearing over six years (-13.2%) and estimated wealth losses of €385.8 million.
Italian Version