FMCG sales in Italy exceeded €31 billion in the second quarter despite a marginal decline of 0.1% compared to the same period last year.
Sales of personal care products witnessed growth of 6.8% year on year, to €1.8 billion, while the home care segment reported a 3.9% increase to €1.5 billion, the latest data from NIQ Retail Spend Barometer showed.
The pet care category generated around €600 million in sales, registering growth of 3.3% compared to the second quarter of 2023.
Shelf-stable food and dairy declined 2.5% and 2.6% in value, with turnover amounting to €5 billion and €3 billion respectively.
'Slightly Negative Trend'
Romolo De Camillis, retailer director at NIQ Italy, commented, “In the second quarter of the year, the gradual return of inflation to normal levels had an impact on sales.
“In particular, FMCG slowed down, mainly due to prices, and closed the quarter with a slightly negative trend compared to 2023 (-0.1%). Contrary to the FMCG average, home and personal care recorded positive trends.”
Overall, Italian households spent €46 billion on fast-moving consumer goods and technical and durable products in the second quarter, according to the latest NIQ Retail Spend Barometer.
In the second quarter, consumer spending on these categories declined slightly by 0.3% compared to the same period last year.
The technical and durable segment continued to suffer during the quarter despite an improvement over the last four quarters.
Elsewhere, Germany saw a 3.3% year-on-year increase in consumer spending on FMCG, tech and durable products, to €97 billion, in the first quarter of 2024, NIQ Retail Spend Barometer showed.
Sales growth in the FMCG category was driven by earlier Easter holidays and lower consumer reluctance to buy, according to the report.
