A sign advertising the services of a pawnbroker, which reads "I Buy Gold, Silver and Diamonds", is seen in Rome August 17, 2012. City centres are being transformed as traditional shops go out of business, their signs replaced by ones that announce "Compro Oro", or "I Buy Gold". The Eurispes thinktank estimates the number of "Compro Oro" shops has quadrupled in the last two years. The proliferation of pawn shops, with an estimated annual turnover of 7 billion euros, is a very visible sign that for millions of Italians life has changed for the worse. Picture taken August 17, 2012. To match Feature ITALY-PAWNBROKERS/ REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (ITALY - Tags: BUSINESS COMMODITIES SOCIETY)