Fashion and food stores already exceed pre-COVID sales

The commercial sector is recovering normality thanks to the vaccination campaign, which has allowed citizens to regain confidence and lose their fear of going shopping. According to Comertia entrepreneurs, during the month of August, sales in their establishments approached pre-COVID normality, which makes them optimistic about the revenues they expect to record until the end of the year.

The sectors that have rebounded the most this August, with double-digit growth, are those linked to more leisure activities such as leisure and culture (+99.7%), restoration (+32.9%), non-basic food (+30.2%), fashion (+23.9%), and accessories (+11.4%). Despite these good results, adds Comertia, both leisure and culture (-28.3%) and restoration (-4.4%) are still far from pre-pandemic sales, when compared to August 2019. In contrast, the fashion (0.8%), non-basic food (4.3%), basic food (10.6%), and accessories (6.3%) sectors have surpassed sales of the same month in 2019 this August.

"With 70% of the Spanish population vaccinated, consumers have shown more confidence, putting aside the worry and fear of contagion from previous months and have chosen to enjoy their free time with friends and family," emphasizes the association, which brings together well-known chains such as Bon Preu, Macson, Calbet, Casas, Ametller Origen, Enrique Tomás, Udon, Furest, La Mallorquina, Santa Eulalia, Dormity, Andreu, Cottet, Farga, Regia, Veritas, Sorli, or Viena.

According to the monthly index prepared by Comertia, 83% of associated companies expect to close this year in positive territory, and only 17% believe they will close 2021 with negative sales. For September, the forecast is to increase sales by 10.4%.

Online sales continue to rise

Catalan chains in the commercial sector also highlight the strong growth of online sales, which have increased by an average of 93.7% in August compared to August 2019. The most notable increases are recorded in the food (212.5%), fashion (148.6%), and restoration (61.7%) subsectors.

Despite the progressive recovery of consumer confidence and customer recovery, there are new obstacles that worry botiguers. According to Comertia, 60% of associates already suffer increases in logistics costs and 54% face delays in the supply of goods coming from abroad. Like the rest of the population, business owners in the sector have to deal with the sharp increase in electricity bills. Thus, 62% of members have already suffered an increase in their electricity bill this August: 24% of companies have registered increases above 20%, and 39% will pay up to 20% more. 32% state that it has not affected them because they have a fixed price and 6% because they have their own supply.