The contribution of textile retail to the Spanish economy and its leadership in digitalization

Afi has prepared the 2025 Report for ARTE (Spanish Textile Retail Association), 'The contribution of textile retail to the Spanish economy and its leadership in digitalization', with the objective of analyzing the economic, social, fiscal, environmental and technological impact of the textile retail sector in Spain. This study quantifies the relevance of the companies that are part of ARTE and puts into context their contribution to the Spanish economy as a whole.

The report addresses key aspects such as the generation of added value, employment, tax collection, internationalization, sustainability and digitalization. It also compares textile retail with other sectors and with commerce in general, highlighting its specialization, dynamism and adaptation to current challenges such as ecological transition and digital transformation.

Some of the report's main findings are:

• In 2023, textile retail generated more than 10.5 billion euros in direct value added (0.8% of GDP) and 23.4 billion with total effects (1.7% of GDP).
• It directly employs 240,300 people (1.1% of the national total), with 74% of women, and maintains 374,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
• It provides more than 7,550 million euros in taxes, 1.8% of total public revenue, especially social contributions and personal income tax.
• It is a leader in technological investment, with 1,760 million euros in 2023 and a 14% intensity in intangible assets, well above the trade average.
• It promotes sustainability with a lower intensity of emissions than general trade, advances in traceability and circularity, and the first fashionable SCRAP system in Spain.
• It has a strong international orientation, with increasing investments in non-European countries such as China.

In short, the report shows that textile retail in Spain is an engine of economic development, employment and transformation, with a key role in the digitalization of commerce and in the implementation of sustainable practices. As the study highlights, the sector not only creates wealth, but provides territorial resilience by generating stable employment in tourist provinces and social dynamism through the high recruitment of women and the commitment to the digital qualification of their workforce.

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