(Finance) – According to Istat data released today, in February the sales in retail value they rose by 0.1% compared to the previous month and by 2.4% on an annual basis.
“Data in fluctuating values. After the drop in January we are seeing a rebound in February, which however with its feeble +0.1% certainly cannot arouse enthusiasm, although it cannot be judged as a negative data. We will have to wait for the next months to understand if there is a real turnaround that will finally bring sales into positive territory, given that one swallow does not make a summer”, he commented Maximilian Donapresident ofNational Consumers Union.
“It has been almost 2 years, i.e. since May 2022, that the overall volume of sales has not recorded a positive sign, but it is still not enough: to recover the gap with the past and the spending cuts made by families in the last two years with the aim of contain the effects of high prices, retail prices must fall, also because the conditions no longer exist, starting with energy costs, which can justify the failure to fall in prices”, noted the Codacons.
“The slowdown in the growth of retail prices has had repercussions on sales, with families increasing the volume of purchases compared to the previous year, albeit in an extremely limited way – he explains Gabriele Mellusopresident of Assoutients– A faint light that can be glimpsed at the end of the tunnel, and which the Government must keep lit by implementing measures aimed at supporting and accelerating the decline in retail prices. After two years of high prices, with an overall inflation of 13.8% in the two-year period 2022-2023, specific measures are needed to bring price lists back to normal, combat speculation and protect the purchasing power of families” – concludes Melluso.
The comments from the business associations were also positive, although they pointed out some critical issues. “The overall recovery reported by Istat in February, however, does not yet concern the small surfaces, which recorded growth in sales in value over the year of just 1%: a change which, net of inflation, translates into a further reduction in volume. Large-scale retail trade, however, is back on track, marking an increase of +4% compared to February 2023″, he highlighted Confessors. “A gap that signals how, despite the trend reversal in February, the difficulties of families and shops have only eased, not resolved. The trend towards increased consumption – which according to our forecasts developed with CER should settle at +0.7% in 2024 – must be encouraged and supported with adequate measures, starting with the confirmation of the cut in the wedge and the continuation of the tax reform also for 2025”, he added.
Also of the same opinion Confcommercio. “However, the critical elements that are still present should not be overlooked – concludes the Research Office trade traditional, net of inflation, the figure remains negative in the annual comparison. At the same time, for some segments, such as food, clothing and footwear, the modest growth in February only attenuated the significant drops in demand recorded in recent years.