Paola, drugs arrive in prison among foodstuffs

COSENZA – Also this year Confartigianato Imprese Calabria has launched the ComprArtigiano campaign: for Christmas gifts we buy local, we support the local economy, choosing gifts resulting from the work of master craftsmen.

“Supporting artisan businesses by purchasing quality products and services especially at this time of year means supporting the individual stories and realities behind the brand: people who invent their own work, with difficulty and sacrifices – says the president of Confartigianato Calabria companies, Roberto Matragrano -. Buying from the artisan shops means not only supporting the entrepreneur, his employees and their respective families, but also contributing to the transmission of the culture crystallized in the artisan knowledge as well as to the well-being of the community. The craftsmen are often in the area with workshops and shops that contribute to qualifying their street, their area; buying local means contributing to the city’s economy and helping an entire community. The value of craftsmanship for a Christmas present is this, and much more”.

The high inflation caused by the energy crisis, which broke out last year and amplified after the invasion of Ukraine, influences consumer choices in the month of December, traditionally characterized by gifts under the tree. Not only gifts but also food products to prepare the festive dinner and lunch. Purchases that are worth a lot for craftsmanship. Expenses related to holidays, in fact, in Calabria amount to 705 million euros, 3.1% of the total of 22,733 million euros in Italy. Yet the higher expenditure foreseen for the month of December, supported by the payment of thirteenth month payments, is partly displaced by high bills.

The festivities linked to Christmas considerably change consumers’ spending habits, recording in December a value of retail sales 25.5% higher than the annual average. The distribution of households and average monthly spending household in the Calabrian territory allows you to estimate expenditure on products and services giftable at Christmas in December that exceeds 100 million euros to: Cosenza (€266 million)Catanzaro (130 million euros) and Reggio Calabria (192 million euros).

8,241 are the Calabrian artisan businesses that make food, drink and services that can be given as gifts for Christmas. We are talking about 36.5% of regional handicraft enterprises (above 30.6% in Italy). Firms that employ 17,881 workers, ie 36.9% of workers in regional craftsmanship, higher than 34.8% in Italy.

At the provincial level, the craftsmanship operating in the sectors affected by Christmas gifts has 3,136 businesses with 6,348 employees in the province of Cosenza, 2426 companies with 5752 employees in Reggio Calabria, 1470 companies with 3005 employees in Catanzaro, 609 companies with 1520 employees in Vibo valentia and 601 companies with 1260 employees in Crotone.

Among the Italian provinces most specialized in the best-selling artisanal products and services at Christmas, Reggio Calabria is in 15th place.

The products and services offered by Italian artisan companies are characterized by craftsmanship based on the value of work, listening to the customer and personalizing the product, which is associated with the high quality of the raw materials and the products made. The centuries-old culture of artistic manufacturing and the reworking of materials finds a synthesis in many creations. Workmanship in a workmanlike manner characterize highly creative, innovative and original products.

In our region, the crafts active in the sectors of offering products and services typical of Christmas see Food, beverages and catering as the first area, which has 2,842 active craft businesses with 8,482 employees. The area represents just under a third of the craft businesses active in the sectors offering products and services typical of Christmas and 12.2% of regional crafts while its employees are 47.2% of active craft workers in the sectors offering products and services typical of Christmas and 17.4% of Calabrian artisan workers.

Paola, drugs arrive in prison among foodstuffs