After Basilicata, Campania and Molise, where they have already started on July 2nd, the summer sales will also start in the rest of Italy from tomorrow. According to estimates by the Confcommercio Research Office, each family will spend an average of 229 euros - less than 100 euros each - for a total amount of 3,6 billion euros.
"We are aware of the difficulties that Italian families are experiencing from the point of view of disposable income - underlines Renato Borghi, vice president of Confcommercio and president of the Italian Fashion Federation -, therefore a slight drop compared to last year is foreseeable, with an average receipt around 100 euros”, against 103 the previous year and 117 in 2010.
“We are also confident – continues Borghi – that the sales will be able to meet the most diversified needs of consumers, both in terms of quantity, quality and assortment of unsold products, and for the discounts that we expect to exceed 40%. Sales in this period, even in a difficult context, will be able to give effervescence to turnover and represent for Italian consumers and foreign tourists an opportunity to buy the desired clothing items during the season”.
According to Federconsumatori and Adusbef, however, the estimates of Confcommercio err on the side of optimism. The two associations believe that final sales will drop by 8-9% this year. Only one out of three families will take advantage of the discounts, with spending amounting to around 117 euros per family, with a turnover of around one billion (936 million euros to be precise). A quarter, therefore, of what is estimated by traders.
