Inflation is changing the habits of Italian households, increasingly pushing consumers towards low-cost shopping, a new study has found.
More than seven out of 10 households (71%) have visited discount stores at least once between September 2022 and February 2023, according to a study conducted by the association of Italian businesses, Unimpresa, among its 16,000 members.
According to the study, the purchase of special offers more than doubled between September 2022 and February 2023, as shoppers seek to offset the impact of inflation.
Lower-Priced Products
Consumers are seeking out lower-priced items in all categories, including food and beverages, as well as household products and clothing.
Discounted products are ending up with increasing frequency in Italian consumers' shopping baskets, particularly products whose prices have been reduced by over 30%, the study found.
The prevalence towards low-cost purchases grew by 53% in volume terms between 2022 and 2023, highlighting longstanding trend noted in recent years by the association.
Shoppers are also turning to supermarket flyers and other marketing channels to take note of upcoming and special offers, Unimpresa added.
Sales Decline
Earlier this month, ISTAT, the statistics institute, reported that retail sales in Italy decreased in both value and volume in February compared to the previous month. This was attributed to a reduction in food purchases made by families.
The data revealed that the value of sales declined by 0.1% in February, after a 1.7% increase in January, while the volume dropped by 0.9%.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
