Overview
- Valle d’Aosta opens on Jan. 2, most regions start Jan. 3–4, Liguria begins Jan. 5, and the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano launch on Jan. 8.
- Industry projections diverge, with Confesercenti estimating about €6 billion in turnover and Confcommercio forecasting €4.9 billion, based on 16 million families shopping and average spend of €137 per person.
- Roughly two million consumers already shopped during post‑Christmas pre‑sales and early promotions, diluting the traditional concentration of the official sales period.
- Shops must show the original price, the discounted price and the percentage reduction, with discounts calculated against the lowest price in the 30 days before the start of sales; in-store returns are not guaranteed except for defects, while online purchases can be withdrawn within 14 days.
- Regional coordination largely aligned dates through the Conferenza delle Regioni, as associations highlight conflicting local curbs on pre‑promotions and push campaigns for clear pricing and rule compliance.