Verdure in tavola - B2B24 - Il Sole 24 Ore

At pAge 38
The initiative beats
the economical crisis
Researches highlight the difficulty of
the industry (sales to -19% in the first
half), but also the ability of many
people to invent new ways to beat
and to overcome the difficulties.
Promotions and proposals for tasting,
actions on the web through newsletters
and social networks, most opening
days, but also diversifying the business
with the development of catering
and banqueting or teaching cooking
classes and tV programs. those are the
strategies that quality catering in Italy
tries to address a difficult time, as confirmed
by the decrease in sales in 2012.
this is what emerges from the research
“the food quality in Italy: trends,
trends, perspectives”, organized by Jfc
taking into account the restaurants
listed by michelin, gambero rosso and
l’espresso, which photographs the vision
of entrepreneurs catering to high
level.
the first thing that is clear, said
massimo feruzzi, ceO of Jfc and head
of research, is the state of the difficulties
that are faced with these companies.
“In the first half of this year their
turnover decreased, compared to the
same period last year by 19.1%. this is
an alarming statistic, especially considering
that the year-end forecasts do not
improve this situation, burdened by the
strong impact of the costs of utilities,
taxes and bureaucracy. a sector, not to
mention the “boss” and often his family,
job guarantees 17,220 employees, with
profiles and skills of the highest professional
level”.
the economic crisis weighs on the
sector, therefore, the two main factors
that have embarrassed the restaurateurs
quality of the Peninsula, according to
research, are in fact the company’s financial
management, referred to as
critical to the 39.8% of respondents,
and the inability to make investments
(34.1%). Other issues reported as critical,
although with much smaller proportions,
are the management of the
dining room staff (10.6%) and cooking
(5.7%), while in terms of finding quality
raw materials and relationships with
companies supplying, the problems
seem residual.
the main response to the crisis of
the protagonists of Italian quality food
has been put in place various marketing
efforts, which are mainly those aimed
at attracting more consumers, forced
in the past two years to cut expenses
considered relatively superfluous as the
dinners in restaurants of chefs or cooks
who are emerging. not surprisingly, the
most popular choice, accounting for
24.7% of the total number of interventions,
was to meet the need of saving
potential customers by increasing promotions
and proposals for tasting.
many people have focused on the
potential of the Internet, exploiting
this medium: 17.9% for the right answer,
in terms of marketing, has been
to invest more in communication activities
via the web, through its website,
newsletter and social network. another
very popular choice was to work harder
(16.7% reduced the closing days, while
only 2.5%, on the contrary, they have
increased).
Some others have revised their
choices of investments in communications,
balancing the right mix: 8% reduced
printing of promotional material,
6.8% of advertising in traditional media
(newspapers, magazines, radio, etc…).
there are also those, and they are very
few, who have made choices against:
6.2% of respondents, in fact, said it has
increased the printing of promotional
materials, as well as a 5.6% increased
investment in advertising on traditional
media.
Other restaurateurs have provided
different indications. there are those,
for example, focusing on giving more
value to customers, says giving more attention
to the choice of raw materials,
and those states that have not raised
prices or bet more strongly on the promotion
abroad. the data, moreover,
indicate that the decline of customers
has focused mainly Italians, while foreign
customers, in many cases even increased.
most restaurateurs interviewed saw
in diversification of a chance to come
out from the difficult moment. In 2012
the 58.3% of respondents embarked on
way road, compared with the 41.7%
who left unchanged its business. Which
roads have wrought? It seems the place
to obtain some revenue that is replacing
those uncertain of their core business.
first of education: 18.8% of those who
chose to devote themselves to other
activities began to teach or take cooking
classes. Other options are to create
or develop a catering service (14.6%)
or increase the activity of banqueting
(8, 3%). Some even took advantage
of the wave of interest in the world of
cuisine and chefs from the public programs
focusing on tV and radio (6.3%)
or by opening sections on food (5.2%).
reported the creation of cooking workshops
on behalf of the attachment to
food companies and restaurants in agricultural
activities, with productions of
various kinds...
At pAge 42
Irap refund. That’s
not for everyone
though
Written by Luigi Ferro
Requests processed in chronological
order, but it will be guaranteed an
equal treatment in relation to the availability
of funds.
Sometimes it happens that taxes are
decreased. In fact it happened with one
of the last government decrees of monti
where, following the transposition of
community legislation according to
which IraP is partially illegal, were
made deductible staff costs. In practice
Irap decreases.
During the season from 2007 to
2011 the unique chance to ask the
agency for reimbursement of revenue
has been activated instead. according
to a schedule that varies from region to
region, you can request a refund only
through electronic means.
the agency has made available on
its website www.agenziaentrate.gov.it,
in addition to the calendar, the software
“redemption IraP expenditure
Staff” to submit its claim. the calculations
to be made are not simple, and a
quick estimate says that about one million
euro in personnel costs reimbursement
is approximately € 50,000.
the requests will be processed in
chronological order of transmission
with the method of “click day” but they
will ensure equal treatment in relation
to the availability of funds. In case the
money is not enough for the “full payment
of reimbursements, the resources
will be prorated.” In practice just a bit ‘,
maybe not for everyone.
At pAge 44
february-march-2013
VII
qualI taly magazI ne