Every day in #Malta, tens of thousands of people open stores, stock shelves, serve customers, manage chaos, and keep the economy moving, often without a second thought from the rest of us. With over 32,000 workers, 13% of all registered businesses, and €3.56 billion in gross value added, the retail sector is not a supporting act in Malta’s economy, it’s actually one of its main stages… And yet, we treat it like a fallback option.
Retail has changed. Our mindset hasn’t.
The way we shop, sell, and interact has transformed drastically in recent years. From automation and online platforms to the rise of sustainability and digital experiences, retail has had to move fast and more often faster than other sectors. But the public perception of retail remains stuck in a version of the sector that no longer reflects its complexity or impact.
We still talk about retail as if it was just a job. A stepping stone. Something temporary. Despite it being the largest private sector employer in the country. We expect employees to manage queues, diffuse conflict, understand customer psychology, upsell, multitask, and do it all with a smile… Only to then be dismissed as a low skilled job.
That contradiction is costing us.
Because the real crisis in retail isn’t just labour shortages. It’s the massive skills mismatch. It’s the lack of training. It’s the underinvestment in the people who hold up one of Malta’s most critical sectors.
If we want to fix retail, we need to start telling the truth about it.
The truth is: retail workers are already operating with a complex skillset; we just haven’t built the infrastructure to recognise and grow those skills.
The truth is: with the right investment in people, retail can be one of Malta’s most inclusive, innovative, and sustainable sectors.
The truth is: Conversations like these are not a “nice to have” discussion. They’re a blueprint for a sector wide shift… One that’s definitely long overdue.
Enter Skills4Retail, a project built for this exact moment.
Skills4Retail exists to do one simple but transformative thing: Give retail the talent strategy it has always deserved.
This EU funded project is designed to rethink and rebuild how we train, upskill, and future proof Malta’s retail workforce. It’s not about generic courses. It’s about building a full, strategic retail skills ecosystem. And it’s about admitting that retail isn’t broken because people don’t want to work in it. It’s broken because we still refuse to treat it as the skilled, complex, and evolving sector that it is.
Whether you’re a teenager starting a part-time job, a store manager juggling people and logistics, or a business owner trying to keep up with digital trends – Skills4Retail is here to support YOU.
So, what’s next?
If you work in retail, know this: you’re not invisible. If you’re an employer, your biggest asset isn’t your stock. It’s your staff. Invest in them. If you’re a policymaker, start treating this sector like the economic force it is. And if you’re a customer, every time you walk into a store, remember; someone built that experience for you.
Skills4Retail is not just another project, it’s a national and European investment in the people who keep our economy, our streets, and our everyday lives running. Whether you’re looking to grow in your role, train your team, or shape smarter workforce policy… Skills4Retail is your starting point.
