11 years needed to get back to pre-crisis spending - update

(ANSA) - Rome, June 5 - It will take more than 11 years for Italy to get back to its consumer spending levels before the 2007-08 crisis, retail association Confcommercio said Thursday. Spending in the south next year will be 12,160 euros a head, lower than the 12,195 euros of 20 years ago, it said. Consumer spending has steadily declined amid Italy's longest postwar recession and there are fears deflation may set in.