The vice-president of the Confederação do Comércio e Serviços de Portugal (CCP), Vasco de Mello, told Lusa that the reports from his associations show there is currently “a big difference” between the interior regions and those outside the major centres, compared to areas of Metropolitan Lisbon and Porto in terms of sales related to Christmas.

The Vale do Ave region, for example, “has had very negative sales” due to the difficulties in the textile and footwear industry, affecting companies and workers, and also in the central-interior region, namely Viseu, where the Christmas season “is not blossoming”.

However, the restaurant industry “is working extremely well” across the country, even in the regions most affected by the economic climate, the Lisbon metropolitan area shows the most positive aspects, “where mid-high-range restaurants are perfectly normal” for this time of year.

The Leiria region also has an “extremely positive impact on commerce, in a curious way” as people are choosing to buy in small “souvenir” stores, such as craft stores, said the confederation leader.

In the Algarve region, expectations are rising for traders, mainly due to “a series of competitions” promoted by commercial associations and municipal councils, as is the case in Faro, though the attribution of shopping vouchers, an initiative that “has been hugely successful since the pandemic”.

Weather conditions in the two weeks before Christmas will also have an influence on street sales.

“These final two weeks are going to be crucial, imagine having splendid sunshine across the country at the end of the year, things will do very well”, he concluded.

On the other hand, in shopping centers, the expectation is that “sales will be equal to the previous year, if not higher”, said Vasco de Mello.