Italy

Hot drinks in Italy continues to record negative retail volume growth in 2019, due to the long-lasting hot summer and consumers’ resulting interest in colder beverages as well as the increasing importance placed on healthy living. Demand for ...

Fresh coffee continued to experience strong premiumisation in Italy and is expected to lead growth of the category over the forecast period. Indeed, fresh ground coffee pods remains the most dynamic category in 2019, whilst standard fresh ground ...

Tea recorded weak positive growth in both retail volume and current value terms in 2019. The major obstacle to a further increase in tea sales was the extraordinary warmer winter months followed by a very hot summer season in Italy. This has ...

Other hot drinks remains the most popular breakfast drink, with 0-14-year-olds, continuing to struggle to gain ground amongst adults in the face of competition from coffee. However, amid the increasing health consciousness of Italians, this has been ...

There is a move towards ethnic ingredients and recipes in packaged food in Italy. As the Italian population and society becomes more cosmopolitan, including the mushrooming of foreign or ethnic retail stores and foodservice establishments, there is ...

Italy’s economy will contract slightly in 2019. Sluggish employment growth and a rising household saving rate are holding back private consumption, while weak external demand and global trade tensions are hurting exports. Lower business confidence ...

Unpackaged, fresh and artisanal bread still dominates retail sales of bread in Italy. Consumers follow the same consumption patterns as in packaged bread, searching for added value and quality in all production stages, starting from raw material ...

Children’s breakfast cereals is a key category growth driver. In 2019, children’s breakfast cereals is seeing the fastest retail volume growth, while it is only very marginally behind muesli and granola in value growth terms. Further strong growth is...

Italian consumers tend to prefer fresh and unprocessed food. This preference is highly evident in fruit and vegetables. Fresh fruit and vegetables are perceived to have a higher vitamin content and taste better than shelf stable or frozen ...

Health is increasingly shaping manufacturers’ strategies and the consumption patterns of Italian consumers. As a result, processed meat and seafood producers are looking to provide innovation, extend their ranges and raise the quality of their ...

Rice, pasta and noodles continues to move towards “clean labels” and the related emphasis on increased wholesomeness, reduced artificial ingredients, authenticity and healthy food. Rice and pasta are key staple food types for Italians, and there is ...

Political instability has depressed domestic demand, causing output weakness. Given the size of Italy’s economy, a possible debt default would spook global financial markets, creating contagion within weaker eurozone economies and those exposed to ...

Despite the negative performance of Italian olive oil, largely due to poor harvests (climatic factors and the Xylella emergency) and strong competition from foreign, especially Spanish, suppliers, as well as increasing competition from vegetable and ...

The key trends in ready meals are food origin and health benefits, in line with general trends across packaged food in Italy. Chilled ready meals is a dynamic and innovative category, with the short shelf life of such products encouraging players to ...

Premiumisation is visible in tomato pastes and purées and pasta sauces. As a result, the former is expected to see a revival in retail current value sales in the forecast period, while the latter is set to see further strong growth. Perceived ...

Soup is the fastest-growing category within cooking ingredients and meals in Italy. The shelf space is growing for these products, with soup a main driver as a first choice in terms of ready-to-eat meals. Soup satisfies consumers’ desire to eat ...

Jams and preserves is a major growth driver in retail value and volume terms in sweet spreads in Italy. This is mainly due to the growing offer of reduced sugar and organic jams, which are the subject of major new product launches. Indeed, organic ...

Charge cards is seeing positive, but much slower growth in terms of the number of cards and transaction volume and value in 2019, compared with 2018. This is because usage is increasingly cannibalised by debit cards, which is benefiting from improved...

Credit cards remains underpenetrated in Italy, with many consumers opting for debit or pre-paid cards rather than credit cards. The main reasons are the perceived high risks of fraud/cloning and a cultural aversion towards purchasing goods on credit....

In 2019, debit cards continues to be Italian consumers’ preferred type of financial card. The category reports steady growth in terms of the number of cards and transaction volume and value, and it remains the number one go-to-financial product ...