The ATM withdrawals They have increased again this year after the fall caused by the pandemic. During 2021 there was a growth of 8.74%, reaching a total of 111,131 million euros (figures very similar to those registered in 2015), according to data from the Bank of Spain.
However, in the last five years bank branches in the country have reduced by 33%, as the same source points out. This circumstance negatively affects merchants, who see how the journey and the time to enter the cash collected in the box increases, creating greater insecurity.
Specific, 47.1% of Spanish businesses express their concern when transferring cash. Asturian businesses (83.3%) and Castilian-Leonese (67.7%) are the most affected in terms of communities, and tobacconists (48.7%) and gas stations (57.8%) are the most affected. points of sale that most denounce the insecurity they suffer when carrying out this process. These are some of the data that emerge from the study carried out by Prosegur Cash, among more than 500 commercial establishments throughout Spain.
In fact, 8.7% have stated that they have been victims of these crimes on some occasion. In addition, this issue concerns 46.3% of Spanish establishments, with Asturias, with 83.3% and the Canary Islands, with 70%, being the communities that are most affected in this regard.
By business sector, those who express a higher percentage of concern are gas stations and service stationswith 57.8% and pharmacies, with 50.7%.
Concern about the management of income and cash withdrawals
More than half of Spanish businesses they are worried about the weather dedicated to the management of income and cash withdrawals from banks (59.1%). Valencia and La Rioja, both with 80%, together with Aragón, Canarias and Murcia (70%), are the communities that most complain about the dedication they have to give to this task. restaurant business (71.1%,) and food (62.9%), are at the forefront in terms of business areas.
On the other hand, businesses in Galicia (40%) and the Community of Madrid (38.7%) state that they find access difficulties and little availability of offices near their establishments. In this way, both the time invested and the risk of suffering a robbery or an incident during the course of the activity increase. Fashion stores, with 28.9%, and lottery administrations, with 23.9%, are the ones that suffer the most from this setback.
Businesses defend payment in cash
Merchants continue to defend payment in cash. In this sense, eight out of ten business managers in Spain (81.7%) consider it very important to maintain payment in cash in their establishments, because this allows them to provide a more inclusive service and avoid the loss of sales opportunities, according to a study carried out by Prosegur Cash.
