Increase in consumption for this year’s winter sales

Barcelona (ACN).- It is expected that Catalans will spend a total of about €800 million during the winter sales, meaning between 3% and 5% more than last year. For the first time since the beginning of the crisis, sales had already shown a “slight recovery” during Christmas, highlighted the President of Catalonia’s Confederation of Commerce (CCC), Miguel Ángel Fraile, who is “very optimistic” about the upcoming winter sales. Indeed, during the months of November and December, retail consumption have registered an increase of 2% and 3% compared to the previous year. The CCC estimates also indicate that, on average, each citizen will spend €90 for the purchase of clothing items. 30,000 stores have launched the winter sales this Tuesday, starting with 50% discounts in most cases. Shops derive half of their revenue from the sales, with the winter ones the most profitable.

The winter sales were off to a start this Tuesday, with what was expected to be a “normal” and “quiet” day, according to Miguel Ángel Fraile. Next Saturday will be “the strongest day” while on Sunday, with most of the stores opened, a surge in the sales is also expected.

A proliferation of fake outlet stores in recent years

Meanwhile, the President of the Trade Union for Textile (GremiTex), Antoni Fures, defended shopkeepers who had waited until the official date to start the sales (scheduled for the 7^th of January). On the other hand, Fures condemned the proliferation of fake outlet stores. In recent years, many shops have opened as outlet stores whereas “30% [of these] are not”. He stated he relied on the consumers’ “intelligence” to differentiate bad quality clothing items from good ones.