The Slowness of consumption in Italy It now takes on the contours of a structural trend, rather than a physiological moment of difficulty. The data released by the consumption observatory Confimprese-Jakalarelating to First quarter of 2025leave no room for optimistic interpretations: the overall expenditure of Italian families is drop by 2.6% in value compared to the same period of 2024.
A clear sign of how distrust of the future and economic uncertainty are modifying spending habits, fueling a climate of prudence that affects all the sectors, but in particular penalizes some areas of the country. The Southonce again, pay the highest price, with thein Campania black shirt Between the regions and Benevento last province of Italy with a dramatic -7.3%.
The consumption crisis in Italy
The slowdown of consumption in Italy is the son of A perfect storm: on the one hand, an increasingly marked loss of purchasing power and, on the other, an unstable international situation, dominated by commercial wars and geopolitical tensions, which discourage from carrying out expenses that are not strictly necessary. The result is one Greater propensity for savings of families and prudent management of the portfolio by investors, with the tendency to postpone important purchases to better times.
The sentiment is very clear: the Italians do not trust, wait. The braking of consumption translates, in fact, into a widespread contraction that affects all product sectors, none excluded. Not even the catering, which records -2.6%manages to avoid the descent. The return to consumption at home compared to “away from home” is one of the most obvious signals of this mutation of purchasing behavior, which is also reflected in a contraction in sociality and experiential expenditure.
Clothing and shopping centers Reggono (but relatively)
To partially contain bleeding is the Clothing and accessory sectorwhich limits the damage with a -0.8%. Bad, however, the sector defined as “Other retail” – or that of non -essential goods o Voluttuari – that It collapses at -6.7%highlighting a clear tendency to give up everything that is not a priority. The effect is a freezing of the more demanding purchases: less electronic, less home objects, less durable goods.
As for sales channels, photography is equally merciless. Le High Street, or the Shopping routes in historic centersrecord a -4.6%penalized by less mobility and the climate of uncertainty. THE shopping centers limit losses with A -1.8%perhaps thanks to a greater ability of attraction of consumers looking for convenience. The proximity is also bad -that is the shops under the house -which confirms the negative trend at -2.2%.
South Italy more and more in trouble
On the territorial level, the data bare the umpteenth Fracture between North and Southwith the South that shows a more marked backdrop than the national average. The South closes the quarter to -3.2%worse from the North-West (-2.7%) and the North-East (-2.4%), while the Center limits -1.4%.
But it is the regional detail that is even more eloquent: the Campania leads the negative ranking with -4.8%demonstrating how the most fragile socio-economic context is reacting with greater suffering to the general context. The emblem of this crisis is represented by Beneventowhich slips to the last place among all the Italian provinces with a worrying -7.3%. A fact that tells a loss of trust, an absence of sufficient income to support consumption, but also a progressive divestment by the commercial chains that see in these areas an increasingly scarce return.
Imperia and Genoa the only positive notes
In this Fosco General Context, two geographical exceptions are reported: Imperiawith an increase of 0.7%, e Genoawhich can at least keep stable. These are weak but important signals. Above all, because they show that some local realities succeed, thanks to territorial strategies and a targeted commercial offer, to react to the general climate of no confidence.
The picture that emerges is clear: without a decisive intervention by the institutions, both nationally and local level, the consumption crisis risks become a real social emergency.
Time holds. Because the consumption crisis It is not just an economic indicator: it is the mirror of a society that struggles to look forward.
