Unveiling consumption patterns during COVID-19: Insights from credit cards

Abstract

This study examines the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on Italian consumer spending. Using a novel high-frequency dataset of credit card transactions and an event study approach, we analyze changes in spending behavior across expenditure categories and regions. We find that total transactions dropped by more than 50% during the national lockdown, with steeper declines in high-contact sectors and earlier contractions in Northern regions due to tighter initial restrictions. These results demonstrate the ability of high-frequency data to detect rapid shifts in consumer behavior and the importance of timely policy interventions in response to extreme events.