The merchants they trust in the final pull of the purchases before Kings to be able to reach a level of sales similar to previous years. They wait for that comeback so that the numbers add up, although from the Business and Commercial Development Federation (Fedeco) are still moved by sensations, waiting to know the sales figures for December.
Yes, the data for November can be used as a thermometer, in which turnover fell slightly compared to previous years, despite the increase in sales on the occasion of Black Friday. This was indicated to this newspaper by Antonio Luis González, president of Fedeco and the Business, Commercial and Professional Association of Arona, who underlined the effects of inflation among consumers.
“Savings have been eaten up by the differentials of the Consumer Price Index and, although we are still moving on the level of perception, the effect of the CPI has caused sales in December to be concentrated mainly on the dates closest to the Christmas”, said González, who added: “Other years purchases have been more advanced, but this time we detected that those people who still retain a certain capacity for savings have done so”.
In the opinion of the business leader, the sensation with what is seen these days in cities and towns can be deceptive. “You can see a large number of people, practically the same as on other Three Kings eve, but if before they carried four bags, now they carry three, and if they spent 100 euros before, that same amount now represents 7.5% less due to inflation , that is, the real billing volume is lower”, he stressed.
Although the clientele profile is different in tourist areas than in urban commercial areas, the good tourist moment does not necessarily translate into a significant increase in sales, since “the bracelet effect (all inclusive) conditions everything and tourists are more likely to spend on excursions”, says the representative of the federation.
Regarding the sales, which will start after Reyes, the president of Fedeco pointed out a clarifying fact: “Black Friday is already more commercial than the first day of sales.”
