(Finance) – Only 14.1% of small businesses expect an increase in sales at Christmas compared to 2023 (-8 percentage points), while estimates increase di stable trend (46.4%, +6 points) and fears of a decline (22.5%, +4 points). According to data collected bySumUp Small Business Observatory, Christmas 2024 promises to be a challenge for small Italian businesses, put to the test by an economic context characterized by the increase in the cost of living and the decline in consumers’ purchasing power. The biggest impact on the forecasts is the reduction in consumers’ propensity to spend, a phenomenon highlighted by 77.3% of traders, who fear a more sober and thrifty Christmas than in the past.
In this complex scenariosmall entrepreneurs don’t give up and focus on innovative strategies and technological tools to deal with difficulties, attract new customers and retain them, as well as saving precious time in daily management. Generative AI also emerges as a concrete opportunity: over one in five merchants (21.5%), in fact, uses it to understand
better customer expectations and optimize your offer.
“2024 was a complex year for many merchants, with the cost of living and the decrease in consumer purchasing power representing the main challenges for the daily management of activities – comments Umberto Zola, SumUp EU Online Sales Manager -. Uncertainty also characterizes the prospects for 2025, which only 42% of merchants look to with confidence. Despite this, small businesses have demonstrated a great ability to adapt and more than half have already implemented countermeasures or are preparing to do so, to optimize some activities of their business, diversify their offering and meet consumer needs. . In this process, technology can be a precious ally. Digital tools and innovative solutions help simplify processes, save time and better understand customer expectations, laying the foundations for sustainable growth even in a complex economic context”.