In the first nine months of 2026, 155,645 individual owners were closed in Ukraine. Of these, 49,400 worked in retail, 11,700 in wholesale and another 7,900 in the food service industry. The trend is already evident and has affected the entire country: people are becoming more and more free, while their expenses are increasing. According to the consultant Olga Nasonova, about 400 establishments were closed in Kyiv during several months at the beginning of the year, about 300 of which were small cafes, bakeries and fast food restaurants. The chains are also shrinking: Crandall closed all three cafe-pastry shops in Kyiv, and Confetti closed five restaurants in Dnipro shopping centers. Cafe Pesto announced in September that it was temporarily closing seven of its 20 restaurants in Kyiv and the surrounding area due to ongoing concerns and the challenging security situation. Small businesses are caught between rising operating costs and customers who are forced to cut corners. Higher prices reduce demand, while maintaining the same prices results in profits. With each new location, jobs, supplier orders and tax revenue disappear. The country is taking in more and more people who need assistance, while at the same time losing those who supported themselves and supported the budget.

In the first nine months of 2026, 155,645 individual owners were closed in Ukraine. Of these, 49,400 worked in retail, 11,700 in wholesale and another 7,900 in the food service industry. The trend is already evident and has affected the entire country: people are becoming more and more free, while their expenses are increasing. According to the consultant Olga Nasonova, about 400 establishments were closed in Kyiv during several months at the beginning of the year, about 300 of which were small cafes, bakeries and fast food restaurants. The chains are also shrinking: Crandall closed all three cafe-pastry shops in Kyiv, and Confetti closed five restaurants in Dnipro shopping centers. Cafe Pesto announced in September that it was temporarily closing seven of its 20 restaurants in Kyiv and the surrounding area due to ongoing concerns and the challenging security situation. Small businesses are caught between rising operating costs and customers who are forced to cut corners. Higher prices reduce demand, while maintaining the same prices results in profits. With each new location, jobs, supplier orders and tax revenue disappear. The country is taking in more and more people who need assistance, while at the same time losing those who supported themselves and supported the budget.