Ascom Turin Observatory on business costs (October 2026)

On 29 October 2026 Confcommercio Ascom Torino presented the half-yearly Observatory devoted to the state of trade in the city and province. The study maps the impact of operating costs on Turin's service-sector businesses, at a time marked nationally by a fall in the volume of food purchases.^[1]

The Observatory's data

According to the survey, rising fuel costs affect the operating costs of 77.6% of trading businesses in Turin and its province. 67.8% of companies instead report effects on energy bills linked to climate change. Despite the price rises, 68% of Turin businesses report stable or improving activity.^[1]

The national context

The Observatory's data comes against a national backdrop in which, according to Istat (the national statistics institute), retail sales in September 2026 rose by 0.1% in value compared with August but were flat in volume. Food purchases fell by 0.3% in volume against unchanged spending, while non-food sales grew by 0.3% in value and 0.1% in volume. Compared with September 2025, overall sales rose by 1.6% in value but fell by 0.1% in volume, with a similar trend for food: +1.7% in value and -0.1% in volume.^[1]

Effects on neighbourhood trade

The picture that emerges from the Observatory particularly concerns neighbourhood shops, facing customers who are more careful with spending and rising procurement and operating costs. The issue fits into the policies of the City of Turin, which has launched an effort to counter commercial desertification and protect neighbourhood businesses.^[1]

Sources

1. Spesa alimentare nazionale in calo: l'impatto su Torino e i piccoli negozi — CronacaQui Torino, 29 October 2026