Italy

Savoury snacks are seeing a positive performance in Italy in 2024, in both volume and value terms. This is strongly supported by the “snackification” trend, whereby consumers eat fewer, full, sit-down meals and, instead, snack more often during the…

Glass continues to be the leading pack type in sauces, dips and condiments. Glass packaging has been rooted in Italian cuisine for decades, often associated with natural, healthy and home-made products. These pack types are also regarded positively…

Cooking and table sauces has been particularly impacted by the high inflation that has hit Italy in 2022/2023, with the price of mayonnaise, for instance, spiralling upwards. The increase in the price of sunflower oil, a key ingredient in the…

Rx/reimbursement adult incontinence remained in a slump in Italy in 2023, as the government continues to reduce its spending in the healthcare system. In 2024, public expenditure in hospitals and so-called “Community Health Houses” will be further…

RTDs saw volume sales stagnate in Italy in 2023. Two main factors constrained the performance of RTDs in both the on-trade and off-trade channels during the final year of the review period. Significant price rises deterred consumers from purchasing…

Despite showing competition to concentrates, RTD tea is also facing competition from other soft drinks categories, notably energy drinks for example. Added to which, RTD tea has seen steep price increases, thus placing further downwards pressure on…

RTD coffee is suffering from inflationary pressures in light of rising unit prices, as it is perceived as a rather exotic and niche product in the context of the strong coffee culture in Italy. Indeed, the traditional coffee culture in Italy has…

In recent years, the consumption of noodles in Italy has seen a notable rise in demand, both in terms of classic noodles and instant noodles. This trend can be attributed to Italian consumers’ growing appreciation of food from other culinary…

Value sales in retail tissue were supported by inflationary pressures surrounding the paper industry in Italy in 2023. The paper industry is highly energy intensive, including in terms of water volumes used, thus costs have skyrocket for…

High inflation rates continued to negatively affect producers, distributors, and most importantly consumers in 2023, despite inflation being slightly more stable than in the previous year. Indeed, as issues in the supply chain, logistical space, and…

Retail e-commerce in Italy posted a relatively moderate increase in current value terms in 2023, with growth largely driven by foods, beverages and beauty products. After a steep increase in market penetration of fast moving consumer goods sold…

Italy’s ageing population continued to support value sales in retail adult incontinence in 2023. Here we also note cross-category trends which focus on wellbeing and helping to enhance the quality of consumers’ lives and their overall holistic…

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…

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,…

Processed poultry continues to grow in volume terms across chilled, shelf stable and frozen formats. Italy is amongst the leading poultry breeders and producers in Europe, and Italian consumers are tending to increase their consumption of poultry…

In 2022, packaging volumes of thin wall plastic containers used in chilled processed meat increased as they are durable and cost-effective. Moreover, the heightened awareness of food safety and hygiene standards saw manufacturers adopting packaging…

With shelf stable fruit and vegetables accounting for more than two thirds of packaging units in processed fruit and vegetables, and metal food cans being the dominant pack type in shelf stable fruit and vegetables, metal food cans is also the…

In recent years, a significant increase in legume consumption has been observed in Italy. This trend is largely attributed to increased awareness of the health benefits associated with consuming these types of foods, as well as a growing interest in…

Premium beauty and personal care registered double-digit growth in current value terms in 2023, following a similar trend seen in 2022. Growth was driven by the dynamism of premium facial make-up and skin care with these categories benefiting from…

Premium and luxury cars is set to record current value growth of 10% to total EUR11.6 billion in 2023. This growth stems from the strong demand from higher-income consumers whose expenditure is proving more resilient in the face of macroeconomic…

Pre-paid cards continued to be one of the most popular types of financial card in Italy, particularly in the case of young adults or those without a bank account. However, as with other financial cards, the rise of contactless payments expanded usage…

Wireless speakers will continue to exhibit volume growth in 2023, with some of this rise in sales coming at the expense of portable media players, a category in steep decline. Smartphones and streaming content are cannibalising portable media…

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…

The most heavily used pack type in plant-based dairy products is the brick liquid carton. This is because brick liquid cartons are the main pack type in the biggest category of plant-based milk. Brick liquid cartons provide a longer shelf life and…

Plant-based dairy is projected to see further strong retail volume and current value growth in 2023. While almost all product areas are set to record positive growth, “other” plant-based milk is expected to see the fastest increments (ongoing…

The cat litter category has evolved a lot over the years and continues to do so. Manufacturers and consumers of cat litter are increasingly favouring products with sustainable materials and options which provide greater comfort to cats. As seen in…

Pet care was among the hardest hit industries by inflation and general price increases in Italy, at least in the first half of 2023. However, these price increases were not seen across the board in all distribution channels, with the biggest…

Italy’s high public debt is a threat to stability and negatively affects economic freedom, but anti-corruption legislation has been reinforced. Economic growth is forecast to be subdued, as rising borrowing costs bite, and foreign investment is…

Personal luxury is set to see current value growth of 10% in 2023 to reach EUR17.9 billion. Growth is being supported by strong performances from leading brand providers, such as Guccio Gucci SpA and LVMH Italia SpA. All areas of personal luxury are…

Personal care appliances are more widely available than most other consumer appliances. These products can be purchased in store and online, through independent and chained retailers, while some products like hair care appliances are also available…

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…

Paediatric consumer health is expected to see strong growth in current value terms in 2023, with most categories projected to post a positive performance in value and volume terms. Volume sales are benefiting from the increase in unit prices…

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…

Other pet food registered a slight decline in retail volume terms in 2023 although this was supplemented by an increase in current value terms, with value growth boosted by price increases implemented by companies in response to rising costs. Despite…

Other hot drinks consists of flavoured powder drinks, chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks, and malt-based hot drinks in Italy, all of which are seeing negative volume growth in 2023. On the other hand, sales of non-chocolate-based flavoured…

Having spiked during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, retail volume sales of other dairy products stabilised towards the end of the review period. Retail volume sales of other dairy were exceptionally high in 2020 as consumers spent more time…

Oral care saw steady growth in current value terms in 2023 driven largely by significant price increases. In terms of unit price growth, toothpaste recorded among the most notable increases in 2023, followed by dental floss, denture care and…

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…

Since the end of the pandemic, smoking prevalence rates have been increasing in Italy, reaching 20% of the population in 2023, up slightly on the previous year. Smoking prevalence fell during the pandemic for several reasons. Firstly, media articles…

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…

2022 was a year of overall stagnation for mobility in Italy. The increase in fuel prices, the high inflation in the Eurozone, as well as some persisting health concerns have slowed growth rates across nearly all mobility segments. While light vehicle…

Sales of smartphones have been trending down in volume terms in recent years, as consumers perceive that the latest versions do not incorporate sufficient new and compelling technology to justify the expense of a new product. Lack of inventory due to…

Sales of microwaves have declined in retail volume terms in 2023 for the second year running, albeit sales have remained higher than pre-pandemic levels. Italy’s economy has come under severe pressure due to various factors, with this being…

Menswear is set to see a strong single-digit rise in retail current value sales over 2023 to exceed the 2019 pre-pandemic level, following the slump recorded in 2020 due to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and fast growth rebounds in both 2021…

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…

Men’s grooming recorded dynamic growth in current value terms for the third consecutive year in 2023, mainly led by significant price hikes across all product categories. This surge can be attributed to inflationary pressures, which prompted…

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.…

Even prior to the pandemic, chilled pizza had been recording significant annual declines, which continued during the pandemic and on into 2022. Chilled pizza often loses out to the longer shelf life of frozen pizza. While the packaging unit volumes…

Meal kits are becoming increasingly popular among Italian consumers. This trend is winning over more and more people because it offers many advantages. First, meal kits are very convenient and practical because they save time and effort. There is no…

Mass beauty and personal care registered strong growth in current value terms in 2023, with this coming on the back of high price increases. With inflation raising production costs most players were pushed to raise their prices. High inflation not…