A mixed picture and a formula that, according to operators, needs to be radically revised. This is the picture painted by the first monitoring conducted by Fismo Confesercenti on the first three weeks of the 2026 summer sales, conducted on a sample of one hundred clothing and footwear retailers distributed throughout the region.
The data depicts a season with highly varied results. While nearly a third of retailers (29%) reported stable sales compared to last year, 37% of businesses reported a decline—in almost all cases, within 15%, while only 7% reported more severe declines. On the other hand, 34% of businesses reported positive results, with increases ranging between 0 and 15%.
The trade association's greatest concern is the stability of local retail, which is being penalized by dynamics that go beyond the specific seasonal situation.
"The overall picture is homogeneous across the region," comments Confesercenti Regional Director Gian Battista Piana , "but the suffering of historic centers and medium- to low-end retail businesses is increasingly evident. Here, we are no longer facing a simple economic downturn, but a structural contraction in consumption that risks compromising the viability of local retail. Coastal towns and tourist areas, on the other hand, are holding up better, also supported by visitor flows."
The weather also contributed to store traffic, with the unusually hot weather in July dampening traditional on-the-go shopping . However, the drop in traffic did not translate into a generalized collapse in sales:
"Fewer people are entering stores than in the past," explains Piana, "but those who do are much more purchase-oriented. The exceptionally high temperatures have also had an impact, discouraging strolling and impulse buying. The number of curious shoppers is decreasing, while the number of those leaving home with a specific need is increasing."
Confesercenti is particularly targeting the current sales format, which it considers inadequate to support small shops due to competition from discounts and promotions unrelated to a fixed schedule.
"Today, sales are penalized by constant promotions and early discounts that continue throughout the year," emphasizes Roberto Bolognese, president of Confesercenti. "Under these conditions, they lose their exceptional character and become less attractive for both consumers and businesses. This mechanism ends up penalizing local shops in particular, which cannot sustain constant price competition."
Hence the request for regulatory intervention, postponing the start of end-of-season sales and introducing more balanced rules compared to the large online platforms:
"We've launched a petition to postpone the start of the sales, which now begin just as the season has barely begun. We need uniform rules across the country and a more balanced environment between traditional retail and e-commerce . Restoring value to the sales," Bolognese concludes, "means strengthening the competitiveness of local shops and preserving a fundamental economic and social asset for our urban centers."
(Unioneonline/En.Ne.)
