The forecast indicates a decline in the number of enterprises in Italy's retail trade sector, excluding motor vehicles and motorcycles, from 528,840 in 2024 to 501,580 in 2028. This marks a consistent decrease after an actual count of 535,000 in 2023. Year-on-year percentage decreases are evident, indicating a downward trend. The five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) signifies a gradual shrinkage in the sector.

Future trends to monitor include:

Impact of digitalization on brick-and-mortar retail businesses, possibly exacerbating the decline.
Evolving consumer preferences toward online shopping and their impact on small enterprises.
Regulatory and economic changes in Italy that may affect the ease of doing business in the retail sector.