First effective test for the winter sales season which this year starts full of unknowns not only for the staggering and restrictions due to the pandemic emergency, but largely due to the economic difficulties of the families.
After the 'theoretical' start on January 2nd in
Basilicata
,
Molise
and
Valle d'Aosta
, which however coincided with the anti-covid restrictions, today is the first 'orange' day in which the shops can remain open.
But the start of the sales in the various regions is in no particular order from here until the end of the month.
And according to the forecasts of consumer organizations, sales will prove to be a flop with a decline of about 20%, while the household budget would be around 150 euros.
Today the discounts have started in
Abruzzo
and
Calabria
, tomorrow 5 January in
Sardinia
, while Thursday 7 will be the turn of
Lombardy
,
Piedmont
,
Puglia
,
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
,
Sicily
while on Saturday 9 it will be up to
Umbria
and 12 to
Lazio
.
Campania is
still in the balance,
which could be postponed to 11 or 12 January.
On the 16th it will be the turn of
Marche
and the
autonomous province of Bolzano
(with the exclusion of some areas of the Val Venosta district, where we will leave on February 13th), while for
Liguria
we will have to wait for January 29th and on January 30th for
Emilia- Romagna
,
Tuscany
and
Veneto
, the last regions to leave.
According to Confesercenti, which conducted a survey among consumers, one in two Italians said they were interested in making purchases, but "spending is an unknown factor".
Only 10% of the interviewees stated that they have already established a budget for purchases at the sales: on average of 165 euros per person, in line with last year.
"But the expense could be higher - it is hoped - since 75% of the sample will prefer to decide on purchases on the spot, according to the occasion".
The estimates of the Federconsumatori National Observatory are less optimistic, according to which just 24% of households will make a purchase during the sales period;
the drop in sales compared to last year will be 18% and the average expenditure will amount to 147.50 euros for each family.
"Due to the restrictions that have kept and will keep the shops closed in the coming days, but above all due to the economic difficulties that many families are experiencing, we will be able to remember this sales season as one of the worst in history".
Codacons expects an average contraction in sales of 20% compared to last year, and peaks of 50% in some cities in southern Italy.
"To affect the trend of the balances will not only be Covid, which has impoverished families", but also purchases "at discounted prices all year round through the web" explains the organization that asks the Government to "repeal the legislation. on end-of-season sales, liberalizing the sector at least for the duration of the health emergency ".
