Small Retailers Dominate 80% of Morocco’s Local Trade

Speaking at the House of Representatives’ question time, the Minister emphasized that the government strives to strengthen the complementarity between small retailers and big retail stores, which boast 1,000 units compared with 250,000 small retailers. Speaking at the House of Representatives’ question time, the Minister emphasized that the government strives to strengthen the complementarity between small retailers and big retail stores, which boast 1,000 units compared with 250,000 small retailers. “Small retailers are at the heart of the government’s priorities due to their significant social role, particularly in providing direct financial services to citizens,” underscored the minister, highlighting that retailers lend an average of 840 dirhams to each Moroccan family, 30% of these transactions are unrelated to products sold by the retailer and instead involve bill payments or direct cash assistance. He noted that his department has implemented 70% of the recommendations from the 2019 Moroccan Forum on Organized Commerce, with the remaining 30% currently in progress. The government is working with small retailers to diversify their sources of income, he added, underlining that the sale of phone top-up cards accounts for 30% of their earnings.