Italy

2023 has been another tough year for sales of refrigeration appliances which have continued to decline for the second year running. There has been a particularly significant slowdown in demand for freezers, with the category posting a heavy decline…

Within small cooking appliances there are a large number of local and foreign manufacturers selling both online and in stores, alongside a myriad of options brought to the table by wholesalers and importers that bring their low-cost products directly…

Due to higher energy prices, rising inflation, and a sharp rise in the cost of living Italian consumers have been looking at minimising their expenditure in many ways. This more conservative approach to spending has had a negative impact on overall…

Recycling and reducing food waste is well-established in Italy, and a high proportion of Zero Wasters are willing to pay more for sustainable goods. While the majority of consumers aim to positively impact the planet, over half feel their actions…

In the eggs category, 2022 was marked by a significant increase in production costs. This increase was mainly attributable to the rise in energy costs, production factors, and especially the surge in feed prices due to the outbreak of the war in…

In 2023, the consumption of fresh fish continued to grow in terms of volume. There are several reasons behind this trend. Prominent amongst these is the health and wellness trend, with more and more people becoming aware of the beneficial effects of…

After the negative events that characterised 2022, including the war following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and high rates of inflation, retail volume sales of fresh food started to grow again in Italy in 2023. Italian consumers continued to…

In 2023, fruit growers faced numerous challenges related to climate change. For example, severe flooding affected many growing areas in regions in the central north such as Emilia-Romagna, which lost a large part of its cherry crops. This situation…

In recent years, the meat category in Italy has been going through an uncertain phase, especially regarding supply. Several factors, such as high breeding costs and feed shortages, are negatively affecting the development of the meat category.…

Like all other fresh food categories, the nuts category has been greatly affected by problems related to the entire production chain. General increases in production and transportation costs, including the significant increase in shipping costs, have…

After a 2022 marked by a drop in consumption in retail volume terms, the pulses category returned to growth in Italy during 2023. This positive signal involved both the production and consumption of pulses in the country. On the production side,…

In 2022, volume sales of starchy roots declined in the Italian market. Meanwhile, from a production point of view, yields had been lower than expected and investments had been made. The main cause was the effects of climate change, with the weather…

The sugar supply chain in Italy had to face various problems related to costs and raw materials in the last two years of the review period. Firstly, the production costs of sugar are already high due to the need to use advanced technologies to…

2022 was a difficult year for the vegetables category, as there was a drop in volume terms resulting from several factors, including a high rate of inflation and rising energy costs. The high rate of inflation led to an increase in vegetable prices,…

The penetration of medical cannabis continues to increase in the Italian market, with the number of legal patients growing due to the increased availability of supplies in the country. Indeed, thanks to the introduction of new products and several…

Bags and luggage continued to perform well in Italy in 2023 thanks to rising internal demand, as well as good trends for production and sales. The category continued its post-pandemic recovery during the year, but at two speeds. In fact, on one side,…

Jewellery performed well in Italy in 2023 despite a high rate of inflation and an increase in prices, especially for fine jewellery, which saw stronger growth than custom jewellery in both volume and value terms during the year. In fact, the…

Personal accessories continued to perform very well in Italy in 2023, seeing sales rise across categories as Italian consumers returned fully to normal life after the long years of the pandemic. At the same time, travelling, going out and working…

The traditional and connected watches category registered growth in both volume and value terms in Italy in 2023. Value growth outpaced the rise in volume sales on the back of rising prices during the year. During and after the COVID-19 crisis,…

Sales of writing instruments increased in both volume and value terms in 2023 thanks to the continued normalisation of lifestyles, including returns to school and a strong reduction in smart working. The good performance of the category was largely a…

In 2022, the main trend in the packaging industry in Italy was a strong emphasis on sustainable and eco-friendly packaging solutions. Italy, like many countries, is experiencing growing concerns about environmental issues, prompting a shift in…

Cafés/bars continued on the path to recovery in 2023, with growth being seen in terms of both the number of transactions and the value. Despite this positive performance the number of outlets continued to decline, continuing the pattern seen…

Consumer foodservice saw healthy growth in 2023 in terms of value sales and number of transactions, and the performance was much better than expectations. High inflation and a sharp rise in the cost of living had been expected to limit demand, but…

Consumer foodservice in Italy continued on the path to recovery in 2023 with transaction value exceeding pre-pandemic levels (in current value terms) while the volume of transactions also continued to grow. Nonetheless, with Italy’s economy…

Full-service restaurants continued on the path to recovery after the pandemic with the category seeing an increase in the number and value of transactions, although the number of outlets continued to decline. Eating out at full-service restaurants is…

2023 was a good year for limited-service restaurants in Italy with the category seeing an increase in the number of outlets, while also seeing healthy transaction growth in value and volume terms. This positive trend was seen both in independent as…

After a strong recovery in demand in 2022 as COVID-19 measures were relaxed the number of transactions through self-service cafeterias started to decline again in 2023. This decline was in part due to the fact that more consumers are now spending at…

2023 was another good year for street stalls/kiosks with the category seeing an increase in value and volume terms but also in terms of the number of outlets. Chained street stalls/kiosks saw more dynamic growth than independent street stalls/kiosks…

Throughout 2022 and 2023, sales of air care products were negatively impacted by tough economic conditions, which saw cash-strapped consumers seek to rationalise their expenditure by switching away from non-essential products. This was accompanied by…

Volume sales of bleach continued to decline in 2023, although demand remained above pre-pandemic levels. Increasingly viewed as an old-fashioned product, bleach enjoyed a major resurgence in 2020, due to its well-recognised sanitising properties,…

Dishwashing in Italy saw strong growth doing the pandemic, but in 2023 sales continued to normalise as consumers continued to return to pre-pandemic routines, spending more time dining in foodservice channels and with friends and family, and less…

Value growth in home care in Italy in 2023 was primarily supported by high inflation, bringing up unit prices as volume sales slowed or declined. Though pandemic-related fears of virus infection through surface contact have waned, Italian consumers…

The increasing frequency of high temperatures and periods of prolonged drought, followed by heavy showers, is believed to have encouraged the spread of insect infestations in Italy during the review period. In addition to the usual infestations in…

Demand for laundry care products continued to fall in Italy in 2023, as consumers maintained the less rigorous washing and sanitation regimes practised pre-pandemic. Reduced anxiety over catching the virus, along with rising electricity costs and…

As consumers look for new and innovative ways to save money, they try to save as much as they can by cutting expenses on anything that is not considered a strict necessity. Polishes oftentimes fall into this basket, considering that priority is…

Surface care suffered a third consecutive year of declining volume sales in 2023, in contrast to the surge in demand seen in 2020. The advent of the COVID-19 virus in Italy had a very strong positive impact on retail sales in both volume and current…

Consistent with trends across home care generally, volume sales of toilet care products declined in 2023. As inflation continued to rise, placing household incomes under intense pressure, consumers started to trade down to cheaper products. This…

Depopulation in Italy from 2021-2040 will result from negative natural change, with positive net migration unable to reverse this demographic trend. While urbanisation continues, significant cities will contract, in line with the shrinking…

Apparel and footwear specialists continued to record single-digit growth in current value terms in 2023 as the category continued on the path to recovery. Despite this sales remained lower than pre-pandemic levels as elevated inflation and a sharp…

It was another tough year for appliances and electronics specialists in Italy in 2023 with the category seeing a decline in current value terms for the second consecutive year. Sales slumped in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 before recording a…

Trends in hospitals and the healthcare system in Italy have been influencing the performance of away-from-home (AFH) tissue and hygiene through 2023. In 2022, Italy faced an increase in hospitalisations for health issues other than those connected to…

The geopolitical developments of 2022 and 2023 have had a big impact on retail in Italy. Russia's war in Ukraine continued in 2023 with no sign of resolution at the time of writing, while the emergence of further instability in other parts of the…

After two years of solid growth, direct selling experienced a decline in current value terms in 2023. However, performances varied within direct selling in 2023 with some categories continuing to perform well in 2023, but especially those with a…

Despite the easing of inflationary pressures in Italy over 2023, price increases and thus inflation rates remained high in the country. Therefore, price and value remained the most pressing concerns for many consumers when choosing to shop for their…

General merchandise stores recorded dynamic double-digit growth in current value terms in 2022 with department stores and variety stores both seeing elevated sales. This performance was backed by a renewed sense of optimism as concerns around the…

Health and beauty specialists saw moderate growth in current value terms in 2023, although this was largely the result of price inflation rather than an increase in demand. When it comes to pharmacies small and independent players account for most…

Home products specialists saw healthy growth in current value terms in 2023 albeit this was largely due to the impact of inflation rather than a significant increase in demand. Consumers continued to invest in their domestic spaces in 2023 with this…

Although more stable than in the previous year, inflation rates still remained high in Italy in 2023 with the price of food and other grocery and non-grocery items continuing to rise. In the context of high inflation, hypermarkets continued to…

The rise of pharmacies as “information hubs” in 2023 is connected to the performance of menstrual care in Italy. Indeed, pharmacies are increasingly becoming hubs for female consumers, around different topics, and including sensitive subjects. For…

Value growth in nappies/diapers/pants maintained its performance in Italy in 2023, supported by inflationary pressures which have pushed up unit prices. That said, consumers in Italy remain resistant to lowering the quality of the nappies/diapers…