Vending in Italy

2020 IMPACT

Vending hit hard by COVID-19 as communal areas are closed during national lockdowns

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of non-essential retail outlets, entertainment venues, companies and offices had to close their doors during strict and extensive national lockdown periods as authorities sought to curb the spread of COVID-19 around the country. Vending was negatively impacted by these national lockdown measures as many of the spaces where vending machines are located were either closed or neglected by consumers who remained at home to follow the lockdown restrictions and avoid contact with crowds of people.

Health and wellness trends to enter vending as Italian consumers take care of their health

Vending continued to move towards healthier choices in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Italian consumers have been leaning towards healthier yet appetising food over the review period, and, as vending is used by customers mainly for an emergency snack, or for a snack to go, distributors have been working on creating a product range that matches the needs of many of its customers.

Retailers in vending continued to innovate despite upheaval of COVID-19

Despite reduced access to vending in 2020, companies in the category continued to innovate in order to make their products more accessible and appealing to consumers. Innovation is increasingly important to success in vending, and retailers have had to adapt to new payment methods.

RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES

Vending set to grow as a COVID-19-safe alternative to other channels

As the spaces containing vending machines are expected to reopen over the course of the forecast period, vending is expected to gain popularity as a COVID-19 safe alternative to other retail channels. As vending does not involve contact with other people, consumers may be drawn to this channel as a shopping method that is considered safer and more hygienic in terms of COVID-19 infection.

Potential ‘plastic tax’ and ‘sugar tax’ could spell bad news for vending

Although the outlook for vending in the forecast period is, generally, positive, there are a number of factors which could have the potential to negatively impact sales in this category in the coming years. There have been discussion in Italy, for example, of the implementation of both a ‘plastic tax’ and a ‘sugar tax’ which would be created to encourage healthy and sustainable lifestyle choices for consumers in Italy.

Additional sectors to enter vending

Over the forecast period, additional sectors are expected to increase their presence in vending in order to reach a wider range of consumers in Italy. In fact, many self-service automatic retail outlets open 24 hours per day and are expected to gain considerable ground in Italy in the coming years.