photo: www.coopfirenze.it |
Although the 2013 World Cycling
Championships in Tuscany were a success in
terms of attendance (in fact finding a hotel in Florence with availability during that week
was nearly impossible) it seems that from a commercial point of view the
results were rather disappointing. The figures just out reveal that sales went
DOWN by up to 50%!
This means that all the additional people
who came for the race didn't buy much, and since the locals were (for the most
part) kept out of the participating cities due to traffic closures, stores suffered losses.
Unfortunately, this outcome is a sign of our times. Here in Italy they have
coined a term for it: “turismo mordi e
fuggi” (literally, bite and run).
In general, tourists are staying fewer days and spending less and less during
their visits - both in terms of shopping and services. Travelling on a
shoestring is on the rise and those merchants who have invented strategies to
combat the new phenomenon are doing better than the others. Just take a look
around at all the panini venues,
selling cheap, quick alternatives to a sit down lunch, or those shops and
stands filled with trivial gadgets (NOT Made in Italy and often counterfeit) that
are cropping up like mushrooms.
The widespread instability of the global
economy is forcing commerce to change worldwide, but the result is rather
depressing. Everyday there are fewer places where you can find good
quality, reasonably priced products. The high-end goods (for which Italy in
particular is famous) are becoming totally out of reach for the middle class
customer. Today, buying a well-known designer brand is no longer an option for
many who just a few years ago could afford to “splurge”, even if only once in a
while, on some of these products. Yet, for the most part, the alternative is to
have to purchase things that are of significantly inferior quality – and still
feel like you are probably over-paying for what you are getting. So, what’s the result? Buy less, spend less, and wait for better times (or sales!)
As we cut out the superfluous from our
spending, those who work in the retail sector are feeling the brunt of it. Many
people don’t want to eliminate travel from their lives, so they trim the excess
in order to make it work. Rather than an expensive souvenir, they buy a small
keepsake. That beautiful leather handbag they see in a shop window remains in
its place, since in the end, “We can probably find the same thing for less, on
sale, back home.” - after all, we are
globalized now. And thus, a growing number of tourists is simply leaving their
footprint as they “pass through”.
What solutions are available? Trying to defend Italian crafts and artisan production is one. There are still things here (even inexpensive ones) that cannot be found online or at the local mall back home. Italian officials should try to limit the sale of cheap (and fake) imported products that have nothing to do with
Another informative blog… Thank you for sharing it… Best of luck for further endeavor too.
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