T. Ozbun
Research expert covering food retail and all food topics for Italy and Brazil
Get in touch with us nowOrganic food retail
Retail sales of organic food have seen steady growth in Italy since 2011. In 2020, organic food sales in the country generated about 3.9 billion euros, more than doubling in less than a decade; supermarkets alone generated sales of nearly 2.2 billion euros. The value of retail sales of organic products per capita doubled over the same period, from 28 euros per capita spent in 2011 to more than 60 in 2020. Fruit was the most sought-after category, accounting for more than a quarter of total organic food spending, followed by milk and dairy products and vegetables.Inflation and private label
The rising cost of food as a result of global inflation has affected Italy, as well as other countries, quite strongly, as rising energy, transportation and raw materials prices have inevitably affected the food retail sector as well. While in September of 2021 only half of Italian consumers expected food prices to rise, by mid-2022 this share had exceeded 80 percent. A common change in spending behavior in times such as these, in order to save on groceries, is to switch to cheaper alternatives. Private labels, which offer a low-cost but often similar quality alternative to other brands, have the potential to experience increased sales. Private label sales revenues in grocery retail in Italy have already grown since 2011 and have the potential to nearly double by 2030. Their market share could also increase, reaching nearly a quarter of all food retail sales within the next decade.
