The winter sales begin on Saturday 3 January and around 2.1 million (out of a total of 1.4 million) Veneto families will be shopping. The most involved sector is naturally that of clothing and footwear which, as emerges from a recent survey by Confcommercio Veneto in collaboration with Unioncamere, will involve 70% of buyers. Again according to the survey, the forecast per capita expenditure is 217 euros for clothing, 183 euros for footwear, 172 euros for goods related to leisure and well-being.
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Confcommercio’s expectations, however, are not particularly optimistic. For the president of Federmoda Veneto, Riccardo Capitanio, “never like this year have we encountered so much uncertainty”. The trends follow those of previous years: «Meanwhile – says Capitanio – we are dealing with a massive social campaign that is fueling what we could define as “private sales”: we have evidence of sales already starting quietly on December 27th, with some advance even before Christmas and with less and less hesitation about bypassing the legislation». Added to this is the difficulty in sustaining the competition of online commerce.
Then there is the issue of stocks, which are scarcer compared to last year: «The shops – they explain from Confcommercio – have stocked up less and this, if on the one hand it has favored a better ratio of sales to purchases, on the other will not allow for large turnovers. However, it must be said – adds Capitanio – that it is quality that wins. And at that point I don’t rule out that the horizon will brighten for shopkeepers too. The first days, in some ways already the first hours, as always, will tell us what the general trend of the 2026 winter sales will be.”
The association renews its appeal to go shopping in city center businesses: «The important thing is that consumers recognize the value of the local shop. This year too, for Christmas, we have revived our campaign aimed at buying from home. It is an invitation that we also reiterate during sales.”
Please remember that the possibility of changing the item after purchasing it is generally left to the discretion of the shopkeeper, unless the product is damaged or non-compliant. There is also no obligation to test the garments, this too is at the discretion of the trader.
