Difficult time for South Tyrolean shops after the difficult weather in May and early June. Confesercenti: “Few sales, full warehouses and a great need for liquidity. The delayed start of the sales which creates new obstacles is incomprehensible”
Not exactly summer weather and warehouses that struggle to empty. The situation in many shops in Bolzano is not easy and the trade association Confesercenti has highlighted the critical issues. With a worried eye towards the date of the summer sales set in Alto Adige for 19 July versus the national start two weeks earlier (6 July). Trade, particularly in the clothing and footwear sectors, is experiencing moments of turmoil with serious questions about the future.
Cold, few sales and poor liquidity
“There is a combination that actually makes the situation complicated” confirms the president of Confesercenti Elena Bonaldi. “The cold and rainy weather has clearly slowed down sales that usually take place at the dawn of the season in April or May. Thus we arrived in June with warehouse inventories (but also on display) higher than expected. It means fewer sales and, therefore, less liquidity for the activities that need it at this point. There is also a logistics problem because those who have a small warehouse cannot empty it of summer goods to make room for the autumn-winter collections that are already arriving”. Now that the scorching heat is arriving, however, could the increase in demand be sudden and positive? “Yes, but the date of the national sales is too close and unsettling for our operators. Many consumers will wait until July 6th to shop online or buy directly in holiday resorts. It is utopian to believe that South Tyroleans will wait for July 19th, turning a blind eye to the promotional storm that the national sales date will unleash. They will find discounts easily online. Not only that, June and July are traditional holiday months for the people of Bolzano and Merano. Why should someone in Jesolo or Villasimius in Sardinia avoid shopping to wait to return home and buy in the shops in the province? Not to mention that there are many tourists, including Germans, who continue to ask shopkeepers when the sales will start. Whichever way you look at it, this choice to postpone the start of the sales in Alto Adige is wrong.”
“Single and national date”
Given that the strength of the balance is now purely marketing (in concrete terms many activities start with promotions within stores days in advance) what would be the solution for Confesercenti? “Very simple. Maintain a single date, linked to the national one, to all start together, taking advantage of the driving force of the national campaigns and eliminating all the disadvantages that derive from this delay. Our stores are in difficulty and so they are not helping them.”
