Year-on-year retail sales increased in value by 1.3% but decreased in volume by 0.3%: in other words, Italians, due to rising prices, spent more to buy less. According to data released by ISTAT, on a monthly basis there was a decrease in both value (-0.4%) and volume (-0.5%), with food goods in particular falling substantially (-0.9% in value, -1.2% in volume). On a year-on-year basis for foodstuffs there is an increase in spending of 2.5% for a decline in volume of products purchased of 0.4%. Faced with this situation, families are increasingly looking to large retailers and within this to discount food stores, where 4.5% more was spent. Trade associations have expressed concern about stagnant consumption and declining sales recorded especially by smaller stores, stressing the risk of commercial desertification as smaller businesses close.