At Christmas, at least 9 billion euros of purchases are planned, and with the 13th it is hoped that “breath will be given to internal demand”. This is underlined by the data released today by the CGIA. On Christmas purchases, explains the Association of artisans and small businesses, “much will depend on the progress of the epidemic and any closures that the government could introduce in the coming weeks to combat the pandemic”.
However, the CGIA estimates that spending on Christmas gifts this year “should return to at least the same threshold recorded in 2019, when it touched 9 billion euros. Nothing to do, however, with how much we spent before the 2008-2009 crisis, when Italians made purchases for almost 20 billion euros in December for Christmas gifts ».
The contraction recorded in recent years is also partly attributable to the fact that many Italians anticipate the purchase of gifts in November, taking advantage of the ‘black friday’. With fewer purchases, however, according to the data, it was mainly neighborhood shops that paid the bill, while outlets and large-scale distribution managed to amortize the blow. “We hope that also thanks to the thirteenth, in this last month of the year we will return to spend intelligently, thus giving breath to domestic demand which, although growing, is still weak”, this is the wish of the CGIA.
What the Italians will buy
Generally this year too, food should be confirmed as the most popular type of Christmas gift: toys, technological products, books, clothing / shoes and personal care items follow. The CGIA still reports that among the products that risk not recovering what was lost compared to the pre-Covid period, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, tickets for shows, concerts and travel stand out. On the other hand, there is no doubt that so-called ‘digital’ gifts, which can be purchased without having to go to physical stores, will further increase. In particular, subscriptions to streaming platforms and gift vouchers to buy online.