AGI – The 2021 summer sales officially start Thursday 1 July in Sicily, followed by Basilicata on 2 July, while in most regions discounted sales will start on Saturday 3 July.
“An appointment particularly awaited by traders, who hope through the discounts at the end of the season to recover at least in part the losses suffered in recent months”. The Codacons argues that the forecasts for the next sales are positive, and record an increase in the propensity to spend by families, even if the sales values will remain below the pre-Covid values. “We estimate an increase in purchases during the discount period between + 15% and + 20% compared to last year, with an average expenditure per family that will be around 165 euros “explains Codacons.
The number of citizens willing to take advantage of the balances is growing (about 57% of Italians) and the return of tourists to Italian cities will give considerable help to trade; furthermore, the discount percentages applied by retailers will immediately be very high, so as to attract customers to the shops.
Sales, however, will remain below pre-Covid values and will not be enough to close the gap with the past: last year the start of the summer sales postponed to August led to an average drop in purchases during the discount period of -30%, with peaks of -60% in some cities of the Southern Italy.
Lastly, as every year, Codacons warns consumers of possible rip-offs, and disseminates useful tips for making purchases safely during sales, including always keeping the receipt and having the guarantee that sales are really at the end of the season.
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