Italy Supermarkets Market Report 2022

“The cost of living crisis has changed the way Italians shop for groceries in the past year, with the big winners being the discounters, our research showing strong growth in the proportion shopping with them and also significant growth in the proportion using them for main, rather than top-up/secondary shops. But mainstream supermarkets are not giving up their customers easily, investing in expanding their own label ranges (our research shows switching from brands to own label is a common behaviour in the past year) and pushing their loyalty schemes as another way of saving money. Sustainability, at risk of falling down the consumer agenda with such a focus on price, has a role to play still, with reducing food waste another way for people to save money. Grocery shoppers would like to see retailers go further in this area by dropping best-before dates on certain food and drink items and for them to generally be more proactive in helping them find ways to save money. Looking ahead, the challenge for discounters will be retaining the customers won during the crisis but this is not something they are going to have to face for a while, certainly not in 2023, as cost of living pressures are unlikely to ease significantly during the next year.”

– Michael Oliver, Senior Retail Analyst, December 2022

This Report will look at the following areas:

• The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the grocery retailing sector
• The performance of the major grocery retailers in 2021
• The main channels used to purchase food and drink and how this is evolving
• How grocery shopping behaviours have changed as a result of COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis
• The role of online and the impact of online-only specialists
• The impact of the cost of living crisis on consumer shopping behaviours and attitudes towards sustainability.