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By Humphrey Carter

PALMA
NOT even savings of 50 percent or more have proven enough to boost consumer confidence in the Balearics during the first ten days of the Winter sales.
A survey carried out by the small business association Pimeco has discovered that 40 percent of Majorca's retail sector claim that takings during the first week of the sales are inferior to last year although, there does appear to be some confidence on the high streets that trade will pick up over the coming days as the weather improves.

However, in Palma, the situation does appear to be significantly better than in non metropolitan areas.
In the capital only 26 percent of shopkeepers are complaining that the sales got off to a worse start than last year. Around 40 percent maintain that sales are on par with last year.

Out in the towns and villages, over half have been disappointed by the first week of the sales.
55 percent claim takings are down in comparison to the first ten days of the sales last year.
But, looking at the global picture, across Majorca as a whole, 30 percent of shops have reported a more lucrative beginning to the winter sales which began last Thursday.

The retail sector knew that this sales period was going to be a complicated one.
On the one hand, the cold snap served to boost the sales of winter clothing and heating appliances while on the other, many consumers decided to stay at home and hit the sales once the weather improved.