In 2025 the negative trend of retail sales is aggravated in 2025, which in March recorded a real shoulder merger on a tendential basis. In March 2025, that the data are down both in terms of value and volume compared to February, equal to -0.5%involving both product sectors. The drop concerns both the goods foodwith a decrease of 0.5% in value and 0.9% in volume, both goods non -fooddown 0.3% and 0.4%.
All sectors down
The flexion concerns both product sectors, but is more marked in the food one, also due to the different location of Easter, this year fell in April, while last year it took place at the end of March.
In the first quarter of 2025, retail sales show a conjunctural drop of 0.2% in value and 0.5% in volume. The contraction affects both food goods (-0.1% and -0.5%) and non-food (-0.4% and-0.6%). The decline continues also on an annual basis, in March 2025 retail sales record a flexion of 2.8% in value and 4.2% in volume. Among the non -food goods, the only growing sectors on a basic basis are those of perfumery products and personal care and gods products pharmaceuticals. Here are all the variations:
- Perfumery and personal care products (+1.8%);
- pharmaceutical products (+0.6%);
- Appliances, radio, TV and recorders (0.0%);
- Furniture, textile items, furniture (0.0%);
- home and hardware tool (-0.9%);
- Durable and non-durable homemade households (-1.1%);
- Photo-optics, films, magnetic supports, musical instruments (-1.3%);
- Equipment for computer science, telecommunications and telephony (-2.2%);
- clothing and fur (-2.7%);
- other products (jewelers, clocks) (-3.4%);
- Games, toys, sports and camping (-3.5%);
- footwear, leather and travel items (-4.2%);
- stationery, books, newspapers and magazines (-4.5%).
Compared to March 2024, all distribution forms they record a flexion of the value of retail sales. Even the large retailers, which in recent months was always positive:
- large retailers (-2.6%);
- companies on small surfaces (-3.1%);
- sales outside the shops (-4.7%);
- Electronic commerce (-1.3%).
Unc: “Disastrous data, nobody is saved”
Massimiliano Dona, president of theNational Consumer Unionis lapidary:
“Disastrous data! Of evil in the worse! Nobody is saved! There is not only one positive, neither conventure nor tendential, neither value nor volume
According to the data, in just one month the Italians will eat in quantity 0.9% less of food. A diet to say the least dangerous, which indicates the difficulty of the families to arrive at the end of the month.
Also the Codacons It paints a very resigned picture, with the numbers that attest to the impact of the Italian expenses once again and that push Italians to cut consumption and divert purchases towards commercial establishments, such as discount stores that guarantee greater savings. “A worrying signal that the government would do well to intercept, studying useful measures to support the consumption of families who continue not to start again”, explains President Carlo Rienzi.
