Genoa, golden rents and online business: the death of historic shops. Traders: “The center loses its soul”

Genoa – One after the other, in the city, the historic signs are going out in rapid succession: Tessilmoda, Pascal, Bollo, The Children’s Fairy, Carini only in the last few weeks downtown. Closures that make noise because they represent something more than the end of an activity. They are a swipe at the past and on the memories of generations: those shops are often linked to beautiful moments of childhood – the Christmas presents bought together with the grandparents – or important stages in life, the wedding list or the purchase of the dress for family ceremonies. And one fact makes us reflect: it is above all the shops that have been open for some time that suffer, symbols of an era that no longer exists.

Because instead, in a city increasingly open to tourism, traditional shops resist thanks to the appeal they have on visitors, and new businesses open also thanks to municipal incentives. The reason why it is above all the intermediate segment, that of historic brands, that suffers is explained by the owners themselves: «The historic center is emptying of residents. If the apartments are transformed into accommodation to rent to tourists, who do we sell to? Almost all of our usual customers have moved elsewhere.” was the reflection of Elma Ndreka and Carolina Annoni, owners of Bollo Telerie in Piazza Campetto.

Even selling a business today is really complex: «We didn’t want the story of this shop to be interrupted – explain Lella and Carmine Langella, owners of the Children’s Fairy – but we didn’t find anyone willing to take it over. Between expenses and taxes, being a trader today is increasingly difficult.” Exactly like thinking about a generational change: «We didn’t feel like handing over the business to strangers and then perhaps seeing it fail – explained Edoardo Morro of Pascal lingerie – And I didn’t want my children to take it over. Genoa is not the city to start commercial businesses.” Not to mention the high rents: 19 thousand euros the monthly rent which made Carini, a historic clothing store on via XX Settembre, throw in the towel. An analysis that the trade associations can only confirm: «The city has changed a lot – reflects Alessandro Cavo, president of Confcommercio Genoa – The first factor that contributed to the consumption crisis is the demographic decline. Then there is tourism: the historic center is becoming deserted because residential homes are being replaced by short-term rental apartments. A shop that doesn’t have tourists among its target audience struggles to survive.”

Paolo Barbieri, president of Confesercenti Genoa, agrees, underlining how “the lack of residents in the center makes the survival of commercial activities more difficult” and pointing the finger at the “growing fixed costs, generally higher in those who have a historic business that it often occupies large, prestigious premises, chosen when the economic times were different.” Then – the trade associations continue the analysis – there are the well-known issues such as the opening of shopping centres, which distance customers from the centre, and online commerce, which represents unsustainable competition for small shops and reduces foot traffic shopping streets. «But not all is lost – concludes Cavo – many historic activities are reinventing themselves, combining the physical store with the online presence. Now it is crucial that institutions take action to support shops, for example by transforming the Cassa del Commercio into a permanent measure.” An appeal accepted by the Region: «We are working to make this instrument as structural as possible – assures Alessio Piana, outgoing regional councilor for Economic Development – which is financed with European funds. In the current tender we have increased the funds which from March to today were almost exhausted. We’re thinking whether to activate the procedures for a new tender so that in the spring there is a tool ready complete with financial resources”.

Moreover, the topic also entered the latest electoral campaign for the Region and the upcoming one for the Municipality. «In the historic center three shops have closed in recent weeks but in recent years more than 110 have opened thanks to the Caruggi bonus – underlines the municipal councilor for Commerce, Paola Bordilli – and since 2018 only quality businesses can establish themselves thanks to a regulation which I wanted together with the then regional councilor Benveduti. The data also tells us that in the rest of the city there is a strong commercial vitality: in via XX Settembre closures are always followed by new openings.”

The opposition is on a war footing, pointing the finger at the failed housing policies, which are at the root of the emptying of the historic center: «A phenomenon aggravated by the growth of shopping centers and the decrease in the population, which ages and reduces consumption capacity – he reflects Pippo Rossetti, regional councilor of Azione – We need to work on guarantees to support rentals for small owners, placing limits on the possibility of renting accommodation only for short periods”. «A development model based on cruises and holiday homes is desertifying the alleys – agrees Simone D’Angelo, group leader of the Democratic Party in the city council and new regional councilor – This affects the quality of living, with less security and more degradation. The consequences of the wrong recipes of the Bucci council are there for all to see: residents are abandoning the historic center and commercial establishments, especially quality ones, are closing.” All is not lost yet, shopkeepers hope. There is still room to keep the commercial tradition alive, but time is running out: the time has come to all sit around a table, associations and institutions. Before some other piece of the past goes out.