Consumption, modest recovery in June at +2.1%

The month of June was marked by a modest growth of the total marketto the +2.1% compared to June 2022, a figure that does not even cover the inflationary effect. This was revealed by the Permanent Observatory Confimprese-Jakala on the trend of consumption in the sectors catering, clothing-accessories and more retail. L’inflationeven if lightened (+6.4% in June on an annual basis, according to Istat), the data coming from China – with a GDP growing by only 0.8% between April and June – and fromCentral Eastern Europewhich recorded inflation at 13%, are all phenomena that still show a general resistance to the cooling of consumer prices.

Looking at individual sectors, the catering continues to remain at good levels and marks a +5%, while clothing-accessories, which in May had recorded a plunge to -16.2%, returns to a positive +1.7%, albeit a few percentage points above zero. The negative trend continues other retail to -2.8%.

Forehead sales channels, shopping centres, outlets and high streets are in line with the general market trend at around +2%. Travel, thanks to the large influx of foreign incoming, especially top American spenders, marks an increase of more than 20%. The excellent performance of the channel contributes to raising the average receipt especially in the catering sector and all related industries.

As for the geographical areas, well the North East at +7.3%, slightly positive Northwest to +0.7%. The Center and the South recorded +3.8% and +2.4% respectively.

In the regions, Friuli Venezia Giulia reflects the positive data from the North-East (+10.13%), while the Molise closed negative at -3.56%. In provincial cities Parma the best at +11.38%, connecting rod the worst at -6.92%.

The data collected in the comparison between the first half of 2023 and the same period of 2022 show a significant growth of the total market equal to +9.7%. This means that consumption has almost recovered to pre-pandemic levels (-3.8% vs 19), but only in value and not in volume due to inflation.

In the commodity sectors catering recorded the most significant growth in the half-year comparison, equal to +15.1%, in full recovery on pre-pandemic at +2.1%, even if inflation is affected by the national consumer price index relating to accommodation and catering services June 2023 vs June 2021 at +15.1%. Clothing-accessories also did well with +8%, clothing-accessories bad with -9.1%, still far from 2019 levels.