The annual Coop Italia report on the state of the Italian economy and consumption habits reveals that Italians continue to struggle with inflation.
Although overall Italian household spending saw a slight increase of 0.5% in 2024 compared to five years previously, over half of this is consumed by essential expenses such as housing, utilities, transportation, and food.
Purchasing intentions for the next 12–18 months remain flat, with saving a top priority for 42% of Italians.
Seeking Value
Despite Italy experiencing lower food inflation compared to the rest of Europe (3.1% year-on-year growth and a 29.1% increase since 2019, compared to EU averages of 3.3% and 38.5% respectively in the first seven months of 2025), Italians’ ongoing financial struggles mean they remain highly focused on finding savings and value in their food purchases.
More are embracing innovative eating habits or a blend of tradition and innovation. with a strong resurgence in home cooking.
Actual spending on dining out decreased by 2.2% in the first half of 2025, while a third of Italians plan to reduce spending further in this area.
Concurrently, grocery shopping is rebounding, with large-scale retail sales increasing by 3.8% in value and 2% in volume during the same period.
This growth is largely driven by fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables, as Italians prioritise healthy eating. Seven out of ten Italians regularly check nutritional labels, leading to a rise in purchases of exotic fruits, fermented milk, bread, yogurt, and oil, alongside a reduction in sugar, salt, and carbohydrates.
Ultra-processed foods are losing favour, while organic food sales are accelerating, even in Southern Italy, with 8.4 million Italians planning to increase these purchases.
This health-conscious trend extends to a growing preference for alcohol-free beverages, particularly among young people, with 15.4 million Italians opting for non-alcoholic choices.
High-protein diets have been adopted by 17% of the population, while sales of plant-based meat substitutes have soared by 20.9% in the past year (ten times more than meat), followed by eggs (+7.8%) and legumes (+5.0%).
Shopping Habits
While discount stores have seen 1.8% volume growth, supermarkets experienced a stronger 2.7% increase. A significant 40% of Italians plan to increase their purchases of discounted or promotional food items, while 18% expect to buy more private-label products, which is more than double the percentage (9%) who intend to buy more mainstream brands.
To adapt to these evolving consumer habits, Italian large-scale retailers face a considerable challenge. According to food and beverage managers surveyed for the Coop Report 2025, future success hinges largely on product and process innovation (53%), alongside effective personnel policies (36%), forming strategic partnerships, and integrating AI, which has the potential to boost productivity by 20% over the next decade.
Dining and Cooking