The unknowns for the next few months weigh, but in September there was a positive trend for the consumption trend in the catering, clothing-accessories and non-food retail areas with an increase in revenues of 9.9% compared to the same month of 2021. It is what emerges from the permanent observatory on consumption trends in the catering, clothing-accessories and non-food retail sectors prepared by Confimprese-Jakala. In particular, catering stood at + 18%. Good results also for clothing-accessories (+ 7.6%) while non-food retail still loses a few percentage points with + 2.2%. The recovery in travel continues, registering + 34%, supported by the long wave of the movements of Italian and foreign tourists. For the second consecutive month, the total market closes close to the 2019 values at -1.8% (September 2022 compared to September 2019) thus bringing the gap compared to the pre-pandemic period to -7.5% on the progressive year. In the pre-pandemic period, since the beginning of the year, non-food has recorded an increase of a tenth of a point while clothing-accessories has not yet recovered the accumulated gap and in the progressive year marks a heavy -16.4%. The data of flows in shopping centers and outlets still remain far below the levels of 2019, marking a data from September-August 2022 on the period September-August 2019 relating to the passages which stands at -7%. performs better than the average with a trend of + 15.5%. Followed by the North-West at + 9.8% and the North-East at + 7.3%. Lagging behind for the fourth consecutive month is the South, which in any case closed almost at pre-covid levels + 6.3%. The same trends are recorded in the regions and provinces as in the geographical areas. Tourists have favored destinations that combine art and vacation. Lazio + 20%, Abruzzo + 15% and Tuscany + 13% the best performers. The scenario is different in the provincial cities where, apart from Rome which registers + 23.5%, Rovigo + 15.8% and Pavia + 15.5% rise to the top of the rankings. “In September – comments Mario Maiocchi, director of the Confimprese Study Center – the long wave of the summer months continues, which is linked to the return to a wider consumption away from home with the reduction of the purchase of goods related to furniture and culture. For the second consecutive month the total market closes close to the 2019 values. But, in light of the data just published by Istat and the very high political and economic instability at international level, we do not believe we can make positive forecasts for the next few months “. With a new government that is about to take office and has to deal with energy-intensive problems, the inflationary push that bites consumption and an increasingly complex geopolitical scenario, it is necessary to wait for the next few months to be able to draw a picture of the evolution of consumption. “The data collected – adds Alessandro Olivari, Jakala senior partner – show a trend that in September continues to be positive, with growing results compared to the same month of 2021 and in line with the numbers for 2019. registers an increase of 18% compared to the same month of 2021. The central-southern regions are the engine of growth. The trends in September seem not yet to have been impacted by the increase in costs, in particular for raw materials, gas and electricity, largely absorbed by the sector in the form of lower profits. The repercussions of the current geopolitical situation and the inflationary scenario, however, could push the sector towards an increase in prices to the final consumer. This scenario suggests a worsening of consumption trends starting from the next few months ».
