The proximity trade sector has lost 10,454 self-employed workers in the last year, according to data from Uatae, which highlights a structural problem of costs, rents, and digital competition.
The local trade is struggling. While the overall Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA) records record affiliation figures, small businesses continue to lose workers at a rate that the Union of Associations of Self-Employed Workers and Entrepreneurs (Uatae) describes as "especially serious." In the last year, the sector has seen 10,454 self-employed workers disappear, leaving a total of 652,319 people as of the end of June 2026.
The organization has pointed out that this loss is not due to a temporary situation, but rather a fundamental problem. Among the factors they highlight are the rising operational costs, the pressure of commercial rents, and the competition from large digital platforms, which operate under very different rules than those of a traditional shopkeeper.
A structural problem that empties streets and towns
For Uatae's General Secretary, María José Landaburu, the situation is clear: "The trade is silently losing the battle, not because there is a lack of willingness to work, but because competing against digital giants, impossible rents, and rules designed for huge operators leaves thousands of self-employed workers out of the game."
The data shows that the loss of commercial fabric is particularly concentrated in four autonomous communities: Andalusia, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and Madrid, which account for almost six out of ten self-employed workers in trade. This implies that the phenomenon is not local, but affects the main economic areas of the country.
Landaburu has emphasized that behind each closure, there is a business that shuts down, and with it, a local service that disappears. "A country with more affiliations but fewer local shops is a country that is leaving gaps in its streets and towns," she warned.
Call for a comprehensive plan with fiscal and regulatory measures
In light of this situation, Uatae has demanded that the Government implement a comprehensive plan that addresses the problem from multiple fronts. The organization is calling for fiscal measures that alleviate the burden on small businesses, regulations that curb unfair competition from large platforms, and a review of the liberalization of discounts and commercial hours.
They are also demanding aid to cope with commercial rents, which have skyrocketed in many areas and are unaffordable for local businesses. Digitalization is another key focus: they want useful and accessible digital tools for small establishments, along with administrative simplification and generational transition policies to ensure business transfers.
"Proximity trade is not asking for nostalgia; it is asking for rules to be able to compete," concluded Landaburu, warning that neglecting the market leads to greater concentration in the hands of those who can sell from anywhere "without sustaining the life of any neighbourhood."
For the self-employed person running a local shop, the situation is becoming increasingly precarious. The loss of 10,454 workers in twelve months equates to an average of nearly 900 monthly departures. If no measures are taken, the trickle could intensify, leaving more shutters down and fewer local services in cities and towns.
Uatae insists that the political debate must go beyond macroeconomic affiliation figures and focus on the quality of self-employed employment and the survival of a sector that employs more than 650,000 people. The next step will be to convey these demands to the Ministry of Labour and the autonomous communities, with the hope that the comprehensive plan is realised before the closure of shops accelerates even further.
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