12,000 commerce and service firms lost in Q1 - update

(ANSA) - Rome, June 5 - Italy lost more than 12,000 commerce and service firms in the first quarter, retail association Confcommercio said Thursday. Some 80% of these were non-food and a large number were in the clothing sector, it said, adding that the North-South gap had widened.
    Businesses have been going to the wall at record rates amid Italy's longest postwar recession.