The erosion of the parliamentary consensus surrounding cooperative privileges was a reflection of the growth of small-trader activity at both local and national level. The Milanese movement acted as an example to other local organisations, and played a key role in the development of a national small-business movement that attempted to deal directly with the government. By the later 1890s there were clear indications that national administrations accorded this lobby serious consideration.

When it first appeared in 1886 L'Esercente noted the existence of two strong shopkeeper associations, those of Genoa and Turin. These were both prosperous trading cities with close contacts with other European economies, and, along with Milan, formed the points of the famous economic triangle which has always dominated commerce and industry in post-unification Italy. It was natural that these cities should be the first to spawn the same sorts of small-trader associations that had arisen in the nearby economies of France and Germany.

These associations inspired imitators in the smaller towns around them. In Piedmont, towns such as Biella, Moncalieri and Susa had their own esercenti organisations, associations in Sestri Ponente and Sampierdarena testified to the influence of the society at Genoa, whilst federations modelled on that in Milan were founded in nearby Lodi and Niguarda in 1890 and 1891 (see Table 8.1).