Due to the rising energy costs across Europe, Italian grocery retailer Alì has decided to close its stores on Sundays and public holidays.
Expenses for grocery retailers in Italy have climbed from 1.5 percent to six percent, which is very high for a sector that has margins of around 1.5 percent. It’s not just retailers facing increased costs. Consumer purchase volumes of high-quality products are already down.
“We have made a lot of efforts to contain the increases of prices due to high energy prices, the rise in industrial price lists and high transport prices, to cushion the effects on the purchasing capacity of our customers at a time like this,” said Gianni Canella, Alì Vice President to Corriere del Veneto News Outlet.
Refrigeration still has to run when the stores close on Sundays, and they contribute to a high percentage of costs.
“They do not allow us to turn off the refrigerators to respect the cold chain, nor to close the heating in winter, to ensure an adequate climate for our employees and our customers on Monday mornings,” he said.
