IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/123463.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Evolution of Italy's Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector: Economic Trends and Policy Implications (2014-2023)

Author

Listed:
  • Leogrande, Angelo

Abstract

The wholesale and retail trade sector in Italy represents a crucial pillar of the national economy, contributing significantly to GDP, employment, and investment. This study analyzes the sector's performance from 2014 to 2023, highlighting the trends, challenges, and opportunities that have shaped its evolution. The sector has experienced steady growth, with value added increasing by 36.32% over the period, despite disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a sharp decline in 2020. Key drivers of growth include digital transformation, supply chain optimization, and shifts in consumer behavior. Government policies, including financial incentives and regulatory reforms, have played a crucial role in supporting the sector’s resilience and recovery. However, challenges remain, such as rising operational costs, regulatory complexities, and the need for sustainable business practices. The study underscores the importance of enhancing digital infrastructure, improving financial accessibility for SMEs, and investing in workforce development to sustain long-term growth. Policymakers are encouraged to adopt targeted strategies to enhance competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation within the sector. By addressing these challenges, Italy can ensure the continued contribution of the wholesale and retail trade sector to economic prosperity and social well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Leogrande, Angelo, 2025. "The Evolution of Italy's Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector: Economic Trends and Policy Implications (2014-2023)," MPRA Paper 123463, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:123463
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/123463/1/MPRA_paper_123463.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Reardon & Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie & Bart Minten, 2021. "Quiet Revolution by SMEs in the midstream of value chains in developing regions: wholesale markets, wholesalers, logistics, and processing," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(6), pages 1577-1594, December.
    2. John Gakuu Karanja, 2022. "Domestic trade regulation and growth of wholesale and retail firms; evidence from Kenya," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 2127218-212, December.
    3. Sebastian TOCAR, 2024. "Inventory management and firm performance in wholesale and retail trade," SEA - Practical Application of Science, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, vol. 0(35), pages 73-81, September.
    4. Yohannes Workeaferahu Elifneh & Temesgen Abebaw Wonda & Yalew Alemayehu Abbay, 2024. "Marketing ethics in the wholesale and retail sector: empirical evidence from Ethiopia (a qualitative inquiry)," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 2373353-237, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bianca Carducci & Yaqub Wasan & Agha Shakeel & Amjad Hussain & Jo-Anna B. Baxter & Arjumand Rizvi & Sajid B. Soofi & Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, 2022. "Characterizing Retail Food Environments in Peri-Urban Pakistan during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-13, July.
    2. Marivoet, Wim & Ulimwengu, John M., 2024. "Spatial typology for food system analysis: Taking stock and setting a research agenda," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    3. Prabhu Pingali & Mathew Abraham, 2022. "Food systems transformation in Asia – A brief economic history," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(6), pages 895-910, November.
    4. Timu, Anne G. & Hazell, Peter & Savastano, Sara, 2024. "An approach for assessing whether agricultural projects help smallholders transition to better livelihood strategies: A malawian case study," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    5. Muhonda, Park & Rice, Emma & Bennett, Abigail & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O. & Belton, Ben & Abaidoo, Eric, 2024. "Investigating the inclusiveness of the usipa value chain in Malawi," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    6. Lila Ballav Bhusal, 2025. "Key sector identification of Nepal: an integrated approach with linkage and hypothetical extraction method," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    7. Chacha, Peter Wankuru & Kirui, Benard Kipyegon & Wiedemann, Verena, 2024. "Supply Chains in Times of Crisis: Evidence from Kenya’s Production Network," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    8. Mac Clay, Pablo & Feeney, Roberto & Sellare, Jorge, 2024. "Technology-driven transformations in agri-food global value chains: The role of incumbent firms from a corporate venture capital perspective," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    9. Alice Chapple & Elise Reynolds & Andrew Mude & Warda Riaz & Reina Engle‐Stone, 2024. "Is investing in food small and medium enterprises a viable path to improved nutrition in Sub‐Saharan Africa? A multidisciplinary perspective," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(2), pages 475-498, June.
    10. Ambler, Kate & de Brauw, Alan & Herskowitz, Sylvan & Pulido, Cristhian, 2023. "Viewpoint: Finance needs of the agricultural midstream," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    11. Neda Trifkovic, 2024. "Certifiable management standards, labor productivity, and worker wages: Evidence from the food sector in Vietnam," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(1), pages 161-184, January.
    12. repec:ags:aaea22:335810 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Aslihan Arslan & Romina Cavatassi & Marup Hossain, 2022. "Food systems and structural and rural transformation: a quantitative synthesis for low and middle-income countries," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(1), pages 293-320, February.
    14. Navarrete-Cruz, Angela & Birkenberg, Athena, 2024. "How do governance mechanisms between farmer and traders advance sustainability goals and enhance the resilience of agricultural value chains?," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    15. Paola Vásquez & Viviana Gallego & J. David Soto, 2024. "Transforming MSMEs towards circularity: an attainable challenge with the appropriate technologies and approaches," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 624-644, September.
    16. Megawati Citra Alam & Budi Setiawan & Hery Toiba & Silvana Maulidah & Moh Shadiqur Rahman, 2025. "Supply chain management practices of SMEs in developing countries: Bibliometric and systematic reviews," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 71(2), pages 99-112.
    17. repec:ags:aaea22:335466 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wholesale and Retail Trade; Economic Growth; Digital Transformation; Supply Chain Management; Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:123463. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.