Food and wine drives trade – Teramo

TERAMO. Food and wine, craftsmanship and agriculture are the sectors that most characterize Teramo’s trade, which thus seems to be moving towards a very specific path, similar to that already undertaken for some time by other medium-small cities. The measure of this trend comes from the Suap data (the one-stop shop for productive activities) of the Municipality of Teramo, which in 2023 recorded 124 new openings of commercial activities compared to 18 definitive closures. A fact that «describes the liveliness of our city, despite the difficulties also linked to construction sites and reconstruction. A liveliness that finds an ever-increasing boost especially in administration”, comments the councilor for commerce Antonio Filipponi. A push which, translated into numbers, sees among the 124 new openings in 2023 17 activities related to the supply of food: from bars to restaurants to venues that focus on specific food and wine offers. Also during the course of last year, six administration activities closed their doors in the municipal area (one third of the total closures), but “the balance between closures and new starts is positive”, continues Filipponi, who underlines: “This trend outlines a clear picture of where the city, consumer preferences and the intuition of entrepreneurs, often very young, are concentrated: a food and wine vocation in which as an administration we have always believed and which we have supported. From events dedicated to food to the organization of cultural events, we have contributed to increasing the flow of presences in the area and therefore encouraging the birth of new activities in this sector” continues the councilor.
Meanwhile, investments in the supply sector are also characterizing this first part of 2024: in recent weeks, in fact, new food and wine businesses have opened their doors in via Vittorio Veneto alongside those that have already existed for decades. «A more than positive sign, which makes the historic center varied in its offerings and increasingly welcoming, especially for visitors», adds Filipponi. Among the 124 new openings in 2023, there are 20 craft activities (especially personal services), 37 medical practices – the category also includes physiotherapists, nutritionists, psychotherapists and other specialists – and 20 in the agricultural sector, «in which thanks to regional funds and Europeans, the willingness to invest on the part of small local entrepreneurs is growing”, continues the councilor.
But there are commercial businesses that are clearly in trouble and have increasingly modest numbers, both in terms of new openings and earnings: clothing, footwear and objects are fronts that have already been suffering from the long and overwhelming wave of e-commerce for some years . «This is a problem that Teramo suffers like all other cities: online commerce has now conquered a very large segment of consumers who find it convenient, fast and with a vast variety of choice», comments Filipponi, «it is an issue that must be addressed in broader terms, not just at a local level. What we find, and we are obviously pleased, is that some clothing segments in Teramo continue to do well, such as luxury and big brands. The same goes for luxury objects.”
Finally, the councilor invites us to reflect on the many controversies that have taken place, especially in recent months, regarding the retail crisis in the centre: «It is true that there are difficulties linked to parking, and we are resolving them, and it is true that there are many construction sites that make the city more difficult to live in. But it is equally true that Teramo is changing: many construction sites are linked to the earthquake, we are a city under reconstruction and this must be taken into consideration. Constructive criticism is welcome, but we must all collaborate for the same objective: the good of the city. And the path, due to reconstruction and decades of neglect, has its difficulties. But it will lead to important benefits”, concludes Filipponi.
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