Trade (wholesale & retail) · Ticino

6 520 companies in trade in the canton of Ticino.

The commercial register lists 6 520 active companies in trade in the canton of Ticino, placing Ticino 8th nationally for this sector (6 % of the national total). 4 809 of them (74 %) are VAT-registered, and 1 939 (30 %) published an official change in the past 18 months: registration, amendment, change of officers, share capital or address.

6 520active companies
23registered in the past 30 days
4 809VAT-registered
8thcanton's Swiss rank
Free watch, 3 days

What moves in trade in the canton of Ticino, in your inbox from tomorrow morning.

The first email goes out within the minute, with the last 30 days of your perimeter: new registrations, changes of officers, moves, capital. Then two morning emails with only what has moved since, as soon as there is something new. No account, no password.

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What moves in your canton, from tomorrow morning.
The canton in brief

Trade (wholesale & retail) in the canton of Ticino: what the register shows.

Wholesale and retail trade bring together importers, distributors, garages and shops. New registrations and address changes signal the opening of outlets or warehouses, and therefore needs in logistics, payments, fit-out and insurance.

This sector accounts for 17 % of companies classified in the canton of Ticino, against 14 % across Switzerland. 23 companies in trade were registered in the canton of Ticino over the past 30 days, 65 over 90 days.

Ticino is the Italian-speaking canton: a financial and fiduciary centre in Lugano, cross-border logistics and trade in Chiasso and Mendrisio, precision industry and fashion in the Mendrisiotto, and tourism on the lakes. The register is kept in Italian, with a high proportion of service companies and holdings.

Market analysis

The market in trade in the canton of Ticino, in figures

614companies registered in 2025 and 2026
CHF 981 Mof combined share capital (4 805 capital companies)
4 814VAT-registered
33are hiring right now (Job-Room postings)

Of these 6 520 companies, the dominant legal forms are: Limited liability company (GmbH / Sàrl) (39 %), Public limited company (AG / SA) (35 %), Sole proprietorship (23 %). 614 were entered in the commercial register in 2025 and 2026, that is 9 % of the active base; 357 registrations in 2025. That is in line with the average of the three previous years (334 a year): a steady pace of registration.

Share capital is known for 4 805 companies (74 %): CHF 981 M combined, median company in the 20-100k band; 2 143 of them (45 %) have capital of at least CHF 100,000.

4 814 companies (74 %) are VAT-registered, a sign of real activity; 6 510 (100 %) have at least one registered director; 1 119 publish a general phone or email, 1 312 have a website verified by ciblr, and 33 run job postings on Job-Room.

SOGC publications in the last 90 days: 63 new registrations, 29 changes of directors, 28 relocations of seat, 182 other amendments, 16 liquidations or deletions.

Registrations by year

02505007501 0002020 : 45645620202021 : 85985920212022 : 32832820222023 : 32432420232024 : 35035020242025 : 35735720252026 : 2572572026
Companies still active, by year of first registration; 2026 year to date (light tint).

Legal forms

Limited liability company (GmbH / Sàrl)
2 51239 %
Public limited company (AG / SA)
2 26135 %
Sole proprietorship
1 47423 %
General partnership
1141,7 %
Branch of a foreign company
641 %
The most common legal forms in this sector.
By size

Small or large?

Micro companies
3 95161 %
Small companies
3315,1 %
Medium companies
2 08332 %
Large companies
1542,4 %
Size not determined
10 %
ciblr size index, computed from registry signals (capital, legal form, age, VAT). n/a: no signal yet.
By city

Where are they?

Lugano
1 30920 %
Chiasso
3835,9 %
Mendrisio
2624 %
Locarno
2393,7 %
Bellinzona
2113,2 %
Paradiso
1692,6 %
Stabio
1241,9 %
Ascona
1171,8 %
The 8 municipalities with the most companies in the sector.
Frequently asked questions

In brief.

How many companies in trade are active in the canton of Ticino?

6 520 companies in trade are registered with the commercial register as active in the canton of Ticino, or 6 % of the 106 553 companies in the sector across Switzerland.

How many are VAT-registered?

4 809 of these companies (74 %) are VAT-registered according to the UID register, which generally indicates turnover above CHF 100 000 and genuine activity.

How can I get their contact details?

ciblr gives you three days of watch on this target: the last 30 days of movements within the minute, then two morning emails with what has moved, as soon as there is something new. The subscription at CHF 299 per month gives access to the whole target, with contact details, Excel export and change tracking.

Method

Where do these figures come from?

Most recent SOGC publication captured for this canton: a day ago. 1,478 publications captured in the past 30 days. Company officers there are re-read directly in the cantonal commercial register.

Every company counted here is registered with the commercial register (Zefix) with the status "active". The sector is derived from the FSO's NOGA code, the size is estimated by ciblr from official publications (legal form, share capital, declared headcount, VAT registration), and "recent signal" means an SOGC publication (registration, amendment, change of officers, share capital or address) in the past 18 months. The figures are recalculated every week from the ciblr database. No data is purchased or invented.

These companies, with their contact details.

ciblr sends you three days of watch of companies in trade in the canton of Ticino: the last 30 days within the minute, then two morning emails, as soon as the perimeter moves. For the whole target, the subscription is CHF 299 per month, no commitment.

Neighbouring cantons

What about next door?

The same figures for neighbouring cantons, useful for regional prospecting.

The same sector elsewhere
Other sectors in the canton of Ticino