International News - Italian shoppers back strike over euro price hikes

Italian consumers thumbed their noses at perceived euro price hikes by supporting a one-day shopping strike last Thursday.

Umbrella consumer group Intesaconsumatori, which mounts the annual boycott, claimed that 30 million shoppers across the country opted not to shop on the day.

Anecdotally, Italians complain that the prices of everyday essentials have surged since the euro replaced the lira in 2002.

Italy's official inflation rate stands at 2.3 per cent, but consumer groups insist the true rate is closer to 7 per cent.

Intesaconsumatori claimed goods have increased in price by anywhere between 40 per cent and 100 per cent since the introduction of the euro.