For the first time in many years, Italian households expect to increase their expenditure on food, according to the annual survey by retailer Coop Italia.
The survey indicates that 13% of consumers expect to increase the value of their food shopping cart, while 8% claim they will further cut their expenses.
However, 2017 will be a year of purchasing power slowdown for Italian families who, until 2016, benefitted from favourable but transient factors. Hence, after two years of growth rates above 1%, the consumption cycle will suffer a setback (estimated at 0.7%) due to the slowdown in incomes and the rise in inflation.
Purchases of goods will be most affected (except electronic goods and cars), while travel and personal services will see growth, as will the real estate market and sectors connected to it (furniture and appliances).
The major retailers ended 2016 on a similar note to the previous year, with a slight improvement in sales recorded in the last two weeks (not exceeding +2%), mainly in the Christmas period.
Of those polled by Coop Italia, 93% said they were intrigued by new products and services. On the wishlist of technological advancements desired in the future, 74% of Italians would most prefer a supermarket without cash tills and without lines.
In terms of the contents of the shopping cart, safely-sourced products were listed by 20% of respondents, followed by low-cost (especially in the 18-29 age group) and typical or traditional goods (14.9%).
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
