Published i Istat data on retail trade, relating to last December and more generally to all of 2011, which describe a situation of strong contraction in the sector. Compared to in November, the seasonally adjusted decline was 1,1%, the worst figure since July 2004, due to the decrease in sales of both food and non-food products.
Compared to December 2010, the raw index of total sales showed a decrease of 3,7%On the other hand, the contraction (4,4%) in the sales of non-food products was particularly strong. The decline strongly affected both large-scale distribution (-3,9%) and businesses operating on small surfaces (-3,5%). Among the businesses with a prevalence of food, the 1% increase in sales for discounters should be noted, in sharp contrast with the rest of the sector.
Looking at all of 2011, the average index decreased by 1,3% compared to +0,2% in 2010. Nothing, in this case, the change in sales of food products, which remained stable, weighs on the 1,8% drop in those of non-food products.
