(Finance) – The trend of sales February retail, registered byIstat, overall shows a slight growth (+ 0.7%), generated by the rebound in the data of the non-food sector (+ 1.7%) which recovers the decrease of the previous month; on the contrary, food goods decreased (-0.6%).
“The positive non-food data are encouraging but not yet able to indicate a recovery in the sector. The decline in the food sector was heavy, considering that the general inflation growth, driven by the conflict in Ukraine, risks further weighing on the trend in consumption. “, He commented Carlo Alberto ButtarelliDirector of Studies and Relations with the Supply Chain of Federdistribuzione. “Expectations of a recovery in the short term remain low, even Easter, with the expectation of consumption linked to the start of the summer, is subdued and in feeding caution in purchases could impact the sales of seasonal products and recurrence, “he added.
“If on the one hand today’s data on retail sales is a breath of fresh air for companies, even for small ones, which in the months of January and February recorded an increase of 8.9% in value compared to 2021 – a result which, although downsizing to 7% in volume, is undoubtedly significant – on the other hand, however, it still does not register the shock wave of the war in Ukraine which has unfortunately slowed down the recovery in progress “. So, in a note, Confesercenti.
The limited growth recorded for volume sales (+ 0.4%) in February does not change the weakening profile of demand recorded in recent months, as it is mainly configured as a moderate recovery compared to the reduction recorded in January (- 0.8%), a figure revised downwards today. The most penalized is the food component, on which the effects of the price increases induced by the increases recorded in the phases prior to consumption are beginning to weigh. In this situation, small businesses, which are also burdened by the huge increases in operating costs induced by higher energy prices, are the ones that show a situation of greater difficulty. In value comparison with the first two months of 2019 for this type of company, the decline in sales is 0.7%. This is the comment ofConfcommercio Research Office.
“For months we have been denouncing how the disproportionate price increases recorded in Italy on basic necessities such as bread, pasta, fruit and vegetables, would have had consequences on household spending – explained the president of Assoutenti, Furio Truzzi – Today comes the confirmation of Istat, which recorded a collapse in February for the sales of food goods which fell by -1.9% in volume on a trend basis ”. “The cut in food spending by Italians is an alarming signal that must push the government to take extraordinary measures, especially in consideration of the upward trend in inflation – continues Truzzi – We need to resort to administered prices at least for the former products. necessities such as food, to stop speculation and counter the effects of high bills and the war in Ukraine ”.
“Unexpected positive data, but the price effect weighs. The increase, in fact, is largely due to inflation which in February had already taken off at + 5.7%. On an annual basis, in fact, if sales in value rise by 4.3%, those in volume, ie net of the effect due to the dynamics of prices, increase by only 1.9% Even in the monthly comparison, it falls from +0.7 to + 0.4%. some of it is just an optical illusion, “he said instead Massimiliano Donapresident of the National Consumers Union.