Spring holidays do not help sales in shopping centers

A slow start to the year for shopping centers, which saw sales fall in the first four months of 2025 (-2.3%) while attendance overall held up well, recording a +1.2% between May 2024 and April 2025. The turnover data for the month of April 2025 recorded a decline of -3.8% compared to the corresponding period in 2024, which leads to a slightly negative progressive result in the first four months of 2025. This trend must be considered in light of several factors, including the general climate of uncertainty and some peculiarities of the calendar in the first months of the year, in which the Easter holidays postponed compared to the previous year and several long weekends had an unfavorable impact on certain types of purchases in particular. The data provided by the CNCC Observatory are based on a representative, constant and homogeneous panel, in which 300 structures participate, equal to approximately 10 thousand points of sale present throughout the national territory.

"Our data show a generalized slowdown in sales in shopping centers and retail, mainly attributable to the slight contraction in attendance of -0.8% in the first four months of the year and greater caution on the part of consumers in spending decisions - underlines Marco Daviddi, Managing Partner of EY Parthenon, Italy -. This scenario reflects a macroeconomic and geopolitical context that is still unstable, which fuels a climate of uncertainty, also impacting consumer habits. For operators in the sector, it is necessary to maintain a high capacity for adaptation and transformation, both in terms of offer and strategy, to be able to intercept new needs and anticipate future changes in purchasing behaviors".

In April 2025, the best performances came from the “personal care and health” segments, which recorded growth of +2.7%, and the service activity, slightly up (+0.1%), recording positive trends. Compared to April 2024, the fourth month of the year, however, recorded a decline of -3.8%, mainly determined by the negative performance of some sectors that are more affected by calendars. In fact, significant declines were noted in the consumer electronics (-7.5%), clothing (-4.9%) and household goods (-4.7%) sectors, followed by the culture, leisure and gifts (-3.2%) and catering (-1.8%) sectors. With reference to the first four months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, the positive signals observed in April are confirmed in the personal care and health sectors, which grew by +2.8%, and service activities, which recorded a solid expansion of +3.9%. The sectors that, on the other hand, recorded negative performances were household goods and clothing, both down by -3.6%. Declining trends, albeit more contained, are also observed in the culture, leisure and gifts sectors (-3.2%), consumer electronics (-2.7%) and catering (-1.4%).

"The trends recorded by the CNCC Observatory are in line with the trend and indicators of the trade sector which, as is known, are affected by the economic situation and consumer confidence - underlines Roberto Zoia, President of the CNCC -. The current macroeconomic context, which continues to be complex, is therefore also reflected in the performance of the Shopping Centre Industry, which however recorded a limited decline, a sign that the proposed model is valid and appreciated. In fact, turnover had to discount an unfavorable impact of the calendar, which in particular was affected by the incidence of some sectors, namely those characterized by postponable consumption. Furthermore, the positive trend recorded by admissions on an annual basis is particularly significant, which demonstrates how shopping centres are solid in consumers' purchasing options".