In Sicily, Christmas expenses exceed two billion euros. This was revealed by the MPI regional observatory of Confartigianato Imprese Sicilia, as part of the new edition of the “Let’s buy local” campaign, the initiative which invites citizens to support the island’s craftsmanship through informed purchases.
According to Confartigianato, this important share of spending can be intercepted by over 20 thousand artisan businesses, active in the sectors most linked to Christmas, which employ more than 48 thousand workers, equal to 36.8 percent of the entire Sicilian artisan sector.
From the observatory’s analysis, it emerges that the month of December represents a crucial moment for consumption: it alone accounts for 10.5 percent of annual retail sales and 10% of sales of food products.
For Sicilian families, the expenditure linked to Christmas gifts amounts to 2 billion and 28 million euros, equal to 7.6% of national expenditure. Of this figure, 68.9 percent – or 1 billion and 397 million euros – is reserved for food and drinks.
Spending province by province
At the provincial level, the families of Palermo spend the most with 495 million euros (1.9% of the national total), followed by Catania (446 million, 1.7%) and Messina (271 million, 1%). Followed by Trapani with 180 million, Agrigento with 171 million, Syracuse with 164 million and Ragusa with 131 million. Caltanissetta closes the ranking with 103 million euros and Enna with 67 million.
Virzì: powerful development engine
«The over two billion euros that families on the island will spend during the holidays – declares the president of Confartigianato Sicilia, Emanuele Alessandro Virzì – can become a powerful engine of development, if oriented towards the works and artefacts created by local artisan businesses. With the “Let’s buy local” campaign, this year too we invite Sicilians to make a conscious choice: every purchase made at home supports work, traditions, quality and identity of our territory. Sicilian craftsmanship is made up of businesses that create value, employment, sustainability and social cohesion. Choosing an artisan product means strengthening the real economy of our territory.”