Only 5.6% of Spanish retailers see the arrival of the Digital Euro as positive

Madrid, November 14, 2023. With the digital euro in its preparation phase after a two-year study and the European Central Bank ready to move forward with the project, the feeling among most Spanish businesses is far from positive. According to a Prosegur Cash opinion survey of more than 500 commercial establishments from different sectors in Spain, barely 5.6% believe that the introduction of this electronic currency, which is expected to coexist with cash, credit cards and cryptocurrencies, will be beneficial for their businesses.

The survey analyzed establishments from different sectors, such as pharmacies, service stations, lotteries, tobacconists, restaurants and small (up to 3 employees) and medium-sized (between 3 and 7 employees) fashion and food establishments. The most optimistic are service stations and gas stations (10.6%), closely followed by pharmacies (9.8%), while small and medium-sized food establishments (20%) and state lotteries (14.5%) express greater resistance, with a significant percentage anticipating a negative impact.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKEPTICISM IN THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR

The survey reveals a widespread ignorance about the digital euro: 39.5% of businesses said they had little knowledge when it comes to assessing how the arrival of this new payment method will affect them.

Moreover, 45.3% believe that the digital euro will not have a significant impact (either positive or negative) on their business. In Andalusia, 80% of retailers believe that the digital euro will have little impact on their business, followed by Castilla y León, at 77.4%, and Galicia, at 73.3%.  In contrast, only 20% of retail outlets and commercial establishments in Madrid believe that this new payment method will have little impact on their business.