Italy

During the pandemic eating at home was a necessity with consumers working and studying from home and access to foodservice outlets being restricted. Food preparation and mealtimes represented important occasions for consumers to spend quality time…

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…

Digestive remedies has been one of the most dynamic OTC categories with it being set to see high single-digit growth in current value terms in 2023. This is being fuelled by the dynamic performance of antacids, the largest product category within…

Dietary supplements is set to see strong growth in current value terms in 2023. One major driver of this performance is the dynamic growth being seen in probiotic supplements in 2023, which is set to see the second consecutive year of double-digit…

Dermatologicals is seeing steady single-digit growth in current value terms in 2023. Two of the most important product areas, topical antifungals and vaginal antifungals, are both seeing moderate growth in 2023, although this is largely due to…

Sales of depilatories saw a positive performance in both volume and current value terms in 2023. Demand for these products was sustained by consumers continuing to return to their more active lifestyles, following the end of the pandemic, with 2023…

Deodorants saw dynamic double-digit growth in current value terms in Italy in 2023. While most of the beauty and personal care products sales were primarily boosted by price hikes, deodorants stood out as it achieved positive growth in volume terms…

The enduring consumer preference for debit cards over credit cards continued throughout 2023, with the former accounting for the more than 10 times the value of the latter in terms of transactions. Such cards are easy to obtain in Italy, as well as…

In 2022 and early 2023, dairy in Italy was particularly affected by price increases due to inflation. This has seen a drop in consumption in some categories, such as butter and spreads. This situation was aggravated by lower milk production in Italy,…

In 2022, flexible aluminium/paper was continuing to gain share in the packaging of butter and spreads as it is perceived as an eco-friendly choice due to its recyclability and lower environmental impact. The aluminium also provides excellent barrier…

Despite a decline in the number of cards in circulation, credit cards in Italy registered dynamic growth in terms of both number of transactions and transaction value in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. This was driven by the growing…

Cough/cold remedies are set to see high single-digit growth in current value terms in 2023, with sales likely to benefit from a high number of cases of cold and flu in the 2023/2024 season. Furthermore, value sales will likely also be boosted by unit…

The effects of inflation and the general economic crisis are still evident In Italy in 2023. This is reflected in an increase in current value terms across all categories within cooking ingredients and meals in 2023. However, this is contrasted with…

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…

Contact lenses is set to see mid-single digit growth in current value terms in Italy in 2024, continuing the trend from the previous year, with the category being the most dynamic within eyewear. Growth in the category will be supported by Italians…

Consumer lending in Italy maintained positive, albeit modest growth in current value terms in 2023, as ongoing economic uncertainty led many Italians to retain a cautious attitude towards borrowing. Factors such as high inflation rates, increasing…

Consumer health is set to record moderate single-digit growth in current value terms in 2023. With the pandemic officially over, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Italians are keen to get back to their pre-COVID-19 lifestyles and this…

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…