Italy

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…

Gardening in Italy saw a significant decline in sales in 2023 which was in part due to the erratic weather which was linked to the impact of climate change. The country experienced severe droughts followed by heavy rains, creating a challenging…

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…

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…

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…

Sales of fragrances saw a quick recovery returning to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022 in both value and volume terms. Fragrances continued to show a similar trend in 2023 with double-digit growth in current value terms as well as steady growth…

Footwear is projected to see healthy, if slower than in 2021 and 2022, retail current value growth and a slight, and similarly slower, retail volume increase over 2023. This is set to enable footwear to slightly exceed its 2019 pre-pandemic retail…

During the height of the pandemic, consumers were seen to be stuffing their homes with a wide range of food preparation appliances. With foodservice operations disrupted many consumers looked to recreate their favourite dishes at home. Furthermore,…

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…

Value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits are set to grow by 12% in current terms to total EUR1.3 billion in 2023, boosted by consumers’ appetite for experiences and enjoyment after the pandemic. Entertaining and socialising with friends is a…

Financial cards and payments performed well in Italy in 2023, both in terms of the number of cards in circulation and the value of transactions. Growth was underpinned by the growing trend towards cashless payments, even for smaller amounts, thanks…

Eyewear is expected to record low single-digit growth in current value terms in Italy in 2024. Growth is set to be supported by Italian consumers’ recovery in purchasing power. Indeed, most categories’ volume sales are expected to see growth on the…

Standard eye care is set to continue benefiting from the increasing amount of time consumers are spending in front of digital screens. Sales are expected to deliver steady growth in current value terms in 2023, with this being boosted by unit price…

Tourist visitor levels in Italy were seen to recover in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures such as high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. This is an improvement on previous years when the pandemic was preventing people…

Energy drinks is the big winner in 2023, with healthy off-trade volume sales – despite the inflationary pressures which are causing downwards dynamics across much of soft drinks as a whole. This positive performance is being driven by several…

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…

Olive oil is an important part of the traditional Italian diet but the category has continued to see declining sales in retail volume terms in 2023, although elevated inflation and a sharp rise in prices has ensured the category has continued to see…

In 2023, overall milk consumption is projected to see a slight increase in retail volume sales, led by goat milk, fat-free and semi skimmed shelf stable milk and fat-free fresh milk. However, fresh milk, overall, is set to continue to post a dip in…

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…

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…