A report on local retail trade in the province of Jaén confirms that it remains a cornerstone of regional development.
The study ‘Local Retail Trade in the Province of Jaén’, carried out by the Chair in Local Retail Trade at the University of Jaén (COMPROX-Jaén), finds that local retail trade accounts for 14 per cent of the business sector.
This study was presented in the Pascual Rivas Hall at the former Teacher Training College in Jaén during an event attended by the Rector of the University of Jaén, Nicolás Ruiz; the Mayor of Jaén, Julio Millán; the President of the Business Federation for Trade and Services (Comercio Jaén), Lucas Ruiz Mozas, the regional delegate for Employment, Business and Self-Employment, Ana B. Mata, and the commercial director of Caja Rural de Jaén, Juan Gallego, as well as the director of the chair and researcher at the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén, Eva Mª Murgado Armenteros, and by the co-director of the Chair and manager of the Business Federation for Trade and Services, Bruno García, who were responsible for providing an in-depth analysis of the main findings of this study.
In his speech, Rector Nicolás Ruiz recalled that the UJA’s Chair in Local Retail was established in February 2025 as a result of the agreement signed between the academic institution and the Business Federation for Trade and Services (Comercio Jaén), and that, as the first outcome of this report, “the first genuine and in-depth analysis of how we shop, what we feel and what we, the people of Jaén, expect from our local shops and neighbourhood businesses”. In this regard, he noted that this is a rigorous study, marking the launch of the ‘Jaén Local Retail Observatory’ (COMPROX Jaén Observatory), a tool designed to monitor local commerce and ensure that the UJA continues to act as a bridge connecting research with the needs of retailers and local residents, thereby safeguarding the future of our neighbourhoods.
He also pointed out that “the UJA has an inescapable responsibility as a driving force for progress and transformation in our province. For this reason, the creation of this chair, and very particularly the COMPROX Jaén Observatory, responds to a long-standing need: to overcome the imbalance affecting our retail sector. Until now, we have relied on national trends to make local decisions. With this Observatory, the UJA is putting its research capacity at the service of Jaén’s unique character.”
In this regard, the Rector has revealed some details from the report, which he considers to be the ‘foundation stone’ for making local retail in Jaén truly profitable and competitive. Thus, the first key finding is the strategic importance of this sector, as the retail trade accounts for almost 14 per cent of the province’s business fabric, consisting overwhelmingly of small, family-run businesses (95.5 per cent of firms have five or fewer employees). A second finding concerns the paradox of the local economy: whilst there is massive ‘emotional’ support – with 88 per cent of the population acknowledging that small shops are vital to the life of their neighbourhoods – this affection does not translate into sales, as supermarket chains continue to account for more than 50 per cent of total spending. A third point is that between 2020 and 2024, the number of retail businesses in the province of Jaén has fallen, meaning that businesses are being lost, which directly affects the life and vitality of towns and cities.
“This report is an invitation to strategic reflection, as the data tells us that local retail is at a turning point. In a context as complex as the current one, the UJA is taking on its responsibility to generate applied knowledge that will help the sector move beyond individual resistance and progress towards new, larger-scale models that take into account our unique characteristics and technological advances. We generate knowledge and transform it into an empirical and scientific basis so that local institutions and businesses can design modernisation plans that actually work. This is not about isolated theory, but about offering practical tools on digitalisation, sustainability and new consumer habits that enable neighbourhood shops to compete effectively,” said Nicolás Ruiz.
For his part, the mayor of Jaén thanked the UJA for this work because “whilst we have already tackled strategic projects together, today we are once again allies in the challenge of boosting small businesses, which are undergoing structural adjustment”. In this regard, the mayor emphasised that “all these initiatives add up” to tackle an economic sector “that is key to the city because of its role in holding the community together and bringing Jaén to life”.
About the report
The director of the chair and researcher at INUO, Eva Mª Murgado, was responsible for outlining the main conclusions drawn from this study – the first of its kind to be carried out in the province of Jaén – which aims to assess this sector “from the consumer’s perspective, as they are the ones who ultimately make the purchase”, she noted. In this regard, she explained that local shops remain a fundamental pillar for the province’s regional development and that, contrary to what one might think, local shops are not merely a residual option, but rather represent the second most common retail format through which consumers make their purchases. Specifically, out of every 100 euros spent, 26 are spent in local shops, which, in Eva Mª Murgado’s view, “shows that this is a positive and solid starting point from which further growth can be achieved”.
The study also reveals that consumers aged over 55 are the most loyal to this type of retail, and that one of the key challenges is attracting younger age groups. Another telling finding is that, despite there being areas for improvement, consumers’ assessment is very positive, with almost 9 out of 10 recognising the importance of local shops to the province. “Therefore, this is not an image problem, because local shops have a positive image in the province; rather, we need to address the main barriers or obstacles that prevent this favourable attitude towards local shops from ultimately leading to a purchase,” explained the director of the chair.
Furthermore, the study highlights various levers that can be used to transform the sector, such as digitalisation, given that nearly 50 per cent of consumers do not use any digital channels to interact with these retailers, despite the fact that 90 per cent of consumers state that they would shop more frequently if retailers were to offer basic digital services, such as online ordering. It also highlights the need to shift from a sales-centred model to a service-centred one. Alongside this, it emphasises the need for collaboration between different retailers to achieve a stronger identity, and the need to design an urban planning policy that is aligned with the retail sector, thereby improving the competitiveness of this retail format.
Ultimately, the co-director of the chair, Bruno García, views its creation very positively “because the University’s reflective work is very important for the retail sector”, he pointed out that in the province of Jaén there are more than 8,500 retail outlets, which employ more than 20,000 people and generate a turnover of more than 5,000 million euros, which, in his view, demonstrates the “significant role played by local retail”.
Source: UJA Communications and Institutional Outreach Activities Office (09/04/2026)
