In the latest “Social Scoreboard”, Eurostat photographed the disposable income of families in the EU by allocating our income below the European average: 14% less in 2019, 15.3% less in 2023 .
The arrival of approximately 51.3 billion euros of thirteenths will ease the difficulties of many families and will allow them to deal with the suspended accounts of local taxes, mortgages, IMU, condominium expenses, energy bills on which new increases have occurred and, even, for suspended expenses for your health.
Given the estimates, however, only 18.7 billion euros out of the total 51.3 billion of thirteenths will be allocated to Christmas holidays, travel expenses to reach tourist destinations or their families and Christmas gifts.
The percentage of families who will be able to use their thirteenth salary for investments or savings is limited.
For Istat, the absolute poverty in 2023 it involved 8.4% of resident families and relative poverty 10.6%. In November the consumer confidence index fell from 97.4 to 96.6; while business confidence from 93.4 to 93.1. Again, the National Institute of Statistics, in the statistical breakdown of the average household expenditure for 2023, photographed a difference of -19.53% in the Southern regions (€2,203.27) compared to the national average expenditure (€2,738.07 ) and -35.21% in relation to the North-East regions (€2,979.07).
The latest Social Report of the INPS of Calabria indicated for 2023 an average regional weekly wage of €496.5 with important differences between workers in the public sector (€720.03), private sector (€420.4), artisans (€344.3), traders (€362.6), agricultural workers (€358.0), domestic workers (147.2), separate management (€476.8), self-employed agricultural workers (227.6 €), casual workers (€57.4). And furthermore, it calculated 102,000 unemployed, 77,911 NETs and an employment rate of 44.6% against the national average of 61.5%.
In this scenario of social inequalities, international conflicts and uncertainties and failures deriving from State Budget measures which do little to redistribute towards the families of workers and pensioners to relaunch consumption, the ONF – National Observatory of Federconsumatori has found the costs of typical products close to the Christmas holidays: from gifts to decorations, from Christmas trees to culinary delicacies.
The investigation highlights a average price increase of +1.4% compared to 2023: a rather limited growth with differences from sector to sector. In fact, the ones recording the highest price increases are low cost gifts (+5.9%)followed by food sectorwhich records average increases of +2.4%.
Increases that are added to those (decidedly heavier) recorded last year, which averaged +10.2%. Despite the price increases, and despite the fact that many families still find themselves in situations of economic difficulty, Italians will not completely give up Christmas gifts, especially those for the little ones.
According to the first estimates carried out by the National Federconsumatori Observatorythe average expenditure per person, among those who make purchases, will be around 172.80 euros (+2% compared to last year).
Many have already moved forward. In fact, around 69% of those who made purchases on Black Friday did so anticipating Christmas shopping and taking advantage of discounts, especially for the most expensive gifts.
This year too, the preferential channel for purchasing gifts is e-commerce, but this choice has seen a slight decrease compared to last year, even among younger buyers, going from 72% in 2023 to 67% this year.
Shopping at the markets set up for Christmas remains popular. It is interesting to note, however, that compared to 2023 the percentage of citizens who will not give any gift grows, reaching the +7.6%.
The watchwords for 2024 gifts are the sustainability, usefulness and originality. Always popular i food gifts: honey, wines, cheeses, oil, typical products and home made culinary creations (jams, biscuits, flavored liqueurs, etc.), but also cooking courses, tasting sessions and dinner kits worthy of starred restaurants. This type of gift will see a growth in preferences of +8% compared to 2023, the year in which a strong increase had already been recorded. For gifts in the food sector, preference will tend to be given purchases at local shops or points of sale that sell typical and local products.
The gifts produced were also greatly appreciated respecting the environment or made with recycled materials. The green aspect is increasingly important for citizens, this is why those who choose to give technological gifts will opt in many cases for refurbished products (dispelling the myth that giving regenerated products as a gift is in bad taste): a trend that is not only good for the environment, but also for the pocketbook, allowing a saving of over 30% and making objects accessible that would otherwise be unattainable for m
The crisis of neighborhood businesses
The Istat data on retail sales for September 2024 reveal, in every territorial area, the difficulties of the network of neighborhood businesses which, according to the data for the first nine months, deliver a negative picture: the small surfaces in fact record a loss in value of the 1% (food -2%), while large structures recorded an increase of 2.2%. The most worrying data is the change acquired in the first nine months of the year, negative for the entire sector on average (-0.7% in volume) but which reaches a critical level for small businesses of around -1.7% (Source Confesercenti).
TIPS FOR SAVING AND HAVING A SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS
The shopping streets and shopping centers will soon be more crowded due to the rush to buy and with well-constrained budgets. To find your way around in the best possible way, avoiding scams and unpleasant surprises, here are the tips from the Consumer Federation on how to save and protect yourself.
- First, establish a budget how much you intend to spend for your gifts. It will be useful to prepare a real one list, to have a complete picture of what to buy avoiding the temptation of superfluous objects.
- Compare prices across multiple stores and online stores: this will allow you to purchase where the price is most convenient, obtaining significant savings (sometimes even greater than 15-20%).
- Always be wary of counterfeit products: better one less gift than saving on the safety and quality of the product!
- Always check that on the box of the toys or products you purchase bears the CE mark (European Community), the manufacturer or distributor’s data and that there are instructions for use inside.
- At Christmas it’s a wise choice to make also making a gift to the environment a wise use of Christmas decorations and packages. If you really can’t give up the light chains, turn them on only in the evening and during family gatherings and not from the beginning of December until the Epiphany, day and night. The best solution would be to give up in favor of equally cheerful and festive Christmas decorations, such as colored ribbons. As well as for packages: a bow is enough! If you really can’t give up wrapping your gifts, choose to do it with recycled paper.
- When you purchase a product online, pay attention to the surcharges due to the shipping service and shipping times.
- It is also important to make informed choices regarding the methods for shopping: where possible, choose the public transport or car sharing of electric cars.
ONLINE PURCHASES
Many will purchase Christmas gifts online. In this regard, here are some tips to avoid running into unpleasant inconveniences.
- Thanks to multiple devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and PCs, purchasing gifts and decorations online has become more accessible and convenient: however, this entails a greater risk of computer scams. Before making the purchase, it is advisable to check that the VAT number, telephone number and physical address of the company to which the portal refers are present on the site and check for the presence of the closed padlock symbol at the bottom of the page or the “https ” in the address bar, confirming that the data is encrypted and not shared.
- With regards to online purchases it is best to always keep the return formvalid for the following 14 days, to request a replacement if the product does not have the characteristics requested at the time of purchase.
- It is possible to monitor price trends through useful comparators and web extensions that allow you to find the best offers online. Once you have found the cheapest price, however, before making the purchase it is a good idea to check that that platform is reliable, checking the contacts, company data and the presence of the Netcomm seal.
Mimma Iannello President of Federconsumatori Calabria: «The data processed by our National Observatory and by Federconsumatori Calabria highlight a Christmas with many faces where the luxury of tables, gifts and holidays will be a chapter that will concern the wealthiest families. Calabria’s social data, employment uncertainties, national and international scenarios show the face of uncertainty that weighs on most family budgets and consumption. Christmas is a festive occasion to banish the superfluous and be guided by sobriety, giving emotional value to consumption rather than a mere consumerist exercise. What we hope for, however, in the face of the many inequalities and uncertainties that too many families experience, are less propagandistic and more substantial interventions which at every level support work, incomes and guarantee access to social and health rights for all citizens without having to experience the limitations of sacrifices and inconveniences even to access care or basic necessities and services”.