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STAFF REPORTER

PALMA
THE Island is striding confidently forward into this year's pre-Christmas shopping campaign, said a report issued yesterday by a small to medium-sized businesses association of Majorca, PIMECO.

Research concluded that: “There is real element of assertiveness this month amongst high street traders and Palma is appreciated as providing a highly effective and colourful backdrop to pre-Christmas family shopping. A study was conducted throughout Majorca amongst 400 businesses focusing on confectionery, shoewear and accessories.

Statistics for November had not proved so favourable, however with less shoppers and less consumer spending. PIMECO claimed that it is a traditional pattern that families in particular need to save prior to their annual Christmas shop so that the month before the festivities begin always tends to be “slow” from a business perspective. “Being careful with one's small change,” claimed the study, has been a principal cause of falling statistics of consumer spending in the Islands. Giving an overall look at how trading has fared for the Autumn/Winter period this year, PIMECO said there were “positive signs” although as yet, there is little information to go on for December. Analysing the results of PIMECO's study, 63 percent of businesses interviewed believed that December was going to be much better for trade than the month just gone. It was surprising therefore that 25 percent said that Christmas wouldn't make any difference to their business. There were differences however between reactions in Palma and the rest of the Island, with 88 percent of traders in the capital being confident of a healthy bank balance in December, while only 38 percent in outlying areas were of the same opinion. A quarter of businesses away from the capital claimed they would be worse off in December.