Consumer spending in February dropped for the fourth month in a row, a trend not seen for some three years, according to the national Confcommercio retailers' association.
Confcommercio said consumer spending fell 0.5% over February of last year.
The retailers' association put the blame for the drop in domestic demand on ''the real possibility of an economic recession in the coming months''.
The decline in consumer spending, Confcommercio added, ''has also affected domestic industrial production, which after bouncing back in January, fell again in February''.
In its analysis of buying trends, Confcommercio said the greatest decline in consumer spending was in the 'mobility' category - which includes purchases of two and four-wheel motor vehicles and fuel - where it fell 4% over February of last year.
Italians were also found to be spending less for entertainment, recreation, books and toys as well as clothes and shoes.
After plummeting 3.6% in January, over the same month last year, spending for food and tobacco fell another 1.8% in February, Confcommercio said.
According to Confcommercio, the only category where Italians continue to increase spending was communications, up 8.1% in February, which is also the only leading retail area where prices have fallen, down 8% in February.
