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Il consumatore fa sempre meno acquisti nel negozio.

Il consumatore fa sempre meno acquisti nel negozio.
The consumer makes fewer and fewer purchases in the store.
From Lesson 177:Progressive degree (sempre più, sempre meno)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il consumatore fa sempre meno acquisti nel negozio.

How does sempre meno translate to "fewer and fewer"?
The word sempre normally means "always", but when paired with più (more) or meno (less or fewer), it indicates a progressive, ongoing change. So sempre meno means "less and less" or "fewer and fewer".
Why doesn't meno change its ending to match the plural noun acquisti?
Unlike words such as tanto or poco which change their endings to match the noun they describe, meno is invariable. It stays exactly the same whether it modifies a masculine, feminine, singular, or plural word.
Could I just use the verb comprare instead of fare acquisti?
Yes, you could say compra sempre meno (buys less and less). However, fare acquisti (to make purchases or to go shopping) is a very common set phrase in Italian, especially in business or retail contexts like this one.
Why is it nel negozio instead of just in negozio?
The word nel is the combined form of in and the definite article il. We use it here because the sentence refers to a specific store (the store). If you wanted to refer to the general concept of shopping in-store rather than online, you could use in negozio without the article.

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