Italy

Toys and games in Italy proved to be a robust industry in 2023, despite the declining value sales of some traditional toy and game products. With the rate of inflation falling slightly, consumer spending showed some improvement for affordable…

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…

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…

Sales of dog food recorded modest growth in retail volume terms in 2023 but this this was still relatively impressive given the economic challenges facing many owners and the impact of significant price rises on the market. The price increases seen…

Sales of cat food recorded moderate volume growth across all categories in 2023. This was accompanied by strong growth in current value terms which was largely the result of elevated inflation and price increases introduced by retailers and companies…

While the 1,500ml bottle is the most popular size in bottled water and 500ml is the most widely used size among the smaller pack types in this category, there has been strong growth recorded by smaller pack sizes in bottled water, such as 250ml or…

Renowned Italian coffee brand Lavazza made a significant contribution towards sustainability with the launch of its first-ever carbon-neutral flexible aluminium capsules for fresh coffee pods compatible with Nespresso Original machines. By combining…

Consumers’ remained price-sensitive in Italy in 2023, which translates into the popularity of discounter stores for products such as wipes. Indeed, non-food discounter stores offer lower prices for many basic and essential products, which is notable…

Vending saw strong growth in current value terms in 2023 for the third straight year with sales seeing an almost full recovery to pre-pandemic levels. Drinks and tobacco vending, the most important category, also saw strong growth in 2023. The return…

Tissue and hygiene continued to see healthy value growth in Italy in 2023, supported by inflationary pressures which have pushed up unit prices. Meanwhile, this same inflationary environment is causing price-sensitivity in consumers, thus, many…

Supermarkets is the grocery retailers channel with the highest penetration in Italy and it saw moderate growth in current value terms in 2023 as inflation started to show signs of stabilising, albeit prices continued to rise. Aside from the impact of…

Smal local grocers continued to suffer from fierce competition from other retailers in 2023, including larger format grocery retailers, but especially discounters. Despite this, small local grocers maintained a positive growth trajectory in current…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…