Visiting Italy this summer and hoping to pick up some world-famous iconic Italian fashion at a discount? Summer has arrived, and in Verona, it’s already time for the much-anticipated summer sales! Across Veneto, in sync with the rest of Italy, the 2024 summer sales kick off on July 6th. The discounts will continue until August 31st, except in Lombardy where they extend until September 3rd.
And if you’re not from Italy, you’re probably asking yourself… “What sales”? So, in 2011, the Italian government passed a law that standardized the dates for sales across the country. Before this law, “Sconti” (sales) could start on completely different days, depending on the location of the event and the type of store—whether it was a mass-market retailer, a chain store, or a boutique.
With this new law, an official sales calendar was created, and any deviations from this schedule can result in fines. Boutiques and other stores must obtain permission from authorities to hold sales and promotions.
At the beginning of the sales season, discounts typically range from 10-20%. As the initial excitement dies down and the most popular items and sizes sell out, the discount percentages increase. By the end of the season, whether winter or summer, shoppers can find discounts as high as 50%. So you may want to wait to make your purchases, but you run the risk of the items selling out as well!
This year, as highlighted by the president of the Conference of Regions, Massimiliano Fedriga, the sales begin on the first Saturday of July. Last year, the start date was moved to Thursday because the first Saturday fell on the very first day of the month. In Veneto, the sales will officially close on August 31st, following regional regulations. It’s important to note that there’s still a restriction in place preventing traders from conducting promotional sales in the 30 days leading up to the sales period.
Mariano Lievore, president of Federmoda Confcommercio Verona, points out that the summer sales are a fantastic opportunity to boost the retail sector. “The sales,” says Lievore, “can help improve sales and revenues after a rather slow start to the year.”
For more details, you can check out Confcommercio for the latest updates on summer sales across Italy.
