Expected prices hikes during the Christmas holiday period will result in a significant drop in consumer spending, according to the consumer group Federconsumatori.
Double-digit increase are expected for Christmas trees and other traditional holiday products, including food specialties and toys, Federconsumatori said.
The only goods which are not expected to go up in price and that may even see price cuts are the latest generation of technological products like LCD TVs and satellite navigators.
Federconsumatori, together with the consumer group Adusbef, said that the national retailers' association Confcommercio's rosy predictions for consumer spending are wrong and that ''depending on the sector, we can expect drops in spending of between 15% and 20%, except for food''.
