Prohibitions and crisis, one in four will not give gifts at Christmas - Lifestyle

 The Covid pandemic with its corollary of travel bans, business closures and economic and income crisis obviously impacts on the tradition of Christmas gifts with one in four Italians who will give up on purchases and an average spending in decline.

    The Confcommercio investigation is not surprising given the worsening of the second wave of the health crisis that is affecting our country.

And according to the UNC, the National Consumers Union, all types of goods except toys will pay the price.

    Also according to the commercial companies, only 17.3% of the thirteenth will be destined for gifts, while the majority (over 67%) will be used for household expenses, savings, taxes and bills.

The average budget is also down, which will drop to 164 euros from 169 last year.

The survey records the increase in expenses of less than 300 euros (from 91.6% to 94.2%) and the reduction of those above 300 euros (-31%) which, in fact, reduce the value of purchases;

Total expenditure will drop by 18%, from almost € 9 billion in 2019 to € 7.3 billion in 2020;

And the pandemic and uncertainty also affect behavior.

The advance purchase of gifts at the end of November is carried out by 20% of consumers against 26% last year, and the share of those who prefer to wait until the first half of December increases from 51.3% to 61%.

    Among purchases, toys, the UNC underlines based on Istat data, are in first place, the only item that records a higher increase in sales than in previous years.

    All the other expenses, on the other hand, while marking an increase in sales in comparison with the previous months, show a marked downsizing compared to previous Christmases.

In second place there are personal care products such as perfumes, cosmetics, face and body creams, makeup bags.

In third place, on the lowest step of the podium, are household appliances (televisions, toasters, electric coffee shops, electric mixers, food processors, planetary machines, electric razors, radio alarm clocks…).

    Only in eleventh position, out of the ranking, Food and Beverage.

The item includes both the increase in spending that occurs for Christmas lunch and gifts based on food, such as panettone, pandoro, sweets, sparkling wines.

Spending, while growing by 13.4% compared to November, records the lowest increase ever since the beginning of the historical series.

(HANDLE).