Consume slowly ahead. In May, retail sales remained substantially unchanged compared to April (+ 0.2% in value and + 0.4% in volume): the increase on an annual basis (+ 13.3% in value and 14.1% in volume) is not enough to return to prepandemic levels. Confirming that the road to normality is still long and the recovery remains fragile.
To the point that, for Codacons, the data released today by Istat are «totally disappointing. The economic growth in sales is minimal and driven only by non-food goods, while the numbers are largely negative for the food sector both in volume and in value – explains the president Carlo Rienzi – Data confirming the alarm raised by Codacons about the crisis of consumption recorded in Italy: 2021 was supposed to be the year of the restart of household spending, but all economic surveys show that Italian consumption is still at a standstill. And it is certainly no coincidence that retail sales are still below pre-Covid levels “.
In fact, Istat stresses that the trend increase is due in particular to the growth of the non-food sector (+ 28.1% in value and + 28% in volume) while the sales of food goods are, on the other hand, in decline ( -1.5% in value and -0.6% in volume).
“The loss of the purchasing power of citizens and the general impoverishment of a large slice of the population due to Covid are having direct effects on retail sales and household consumption – continues Rienzi – This is why traders place enormous hopes on sales. summer, in order to recover the enormous losses suffered in recent months ».
Compared to April and therefore on a monthly basis, sales of food goods are down (-2% in value and -1.9% in volume) while those of non-food goods increase (+ 2% in value and + 2.2% by volume). Among non-food goods, positive trend changes were recorded for all product groups with the exception of IT, telecommunications and telephony equipment (-4.0%). The biggest increases relate to Clothing and fur (+ 82.3%) and Footwear, leather and travel items (+ 59.7%).
Compared to May 2020, the value of retail sales increases in all distribution channels: large-scale distribution (+ 8.3%), businesses operating on small surfaces (+ 19.5%), sales outside of stores (+ 19.4%) and electronic commerce (+ 7.2%). In May “there was a modest economic increase due to the positive change in sales of non-food goods. Despite this, the level of sales, both in value and in volume, is still lower than the levels prior to the crisis (February 2020). On a trend basis, the sustained growth trend of non-food products continues, albeit at a slower pace than in April, which in May of last year were still affected by the closure of many businesses. Finally, the growth of online sales is slowing down ”, is the comment from Istat.