“The online grocery retailing market in Italy has continued to defy expectations, with the proportion of consumers who say they do all or most of their grocery shopping online having grown between the pandemic-boosted year of 2020 and 2023. Additionally, those most frequent online grocery shoppers say they are shopping more frequently for groceries online than in the previous year. While the cost-of-living crisis has impacted shopper behaviour in terms of the products and brands they buy, for many the advantages of shopping online are so great that it is something they are not prepared to give up. Ultimately, shopping online is about much more than price, with time savings and the convenience of home delivery being strong drivers of its appeal. Our research shows strong latent demand in terms of those who don’t currently use online grocery shopping services but would like to and, as Italy gradually emerges from the cost-of-living crisis, there is an opportunity for retailers to continue to grow their businesses not just through the addition of new customers but also by introducing ancillary paid-for services.”
– Michael Oliver, Senior Retail Analyst
Key issues covered in this Report
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the online grocery retailing sector
- Current level of online grocery shopping and how people receive their orders; whether people are shopping online for groceries more often
- Which companies people shop online for groceries with
- Attitudes towards certain aspects of online grocery shopping
- The strategies of the major grocery retailers relating to online
- Opportunities for expansion of the market.
Collapse All
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Overview
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- Key issues covered in this Report
- Areas covered in this Report
- Consumer research
- Market context
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Executive Summary
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- The five-year outlook for online grocery retailing
- Figure 1: Italy: online grocery retailing outlook, 2023-28
- The market
- Market size
- Figure 2: Italy: online grocery retailing market size (including VAT), 2018-22
- The consumer
- Online grocery shopping behaviours
- Figure 3: Italy: online grocery shopping behaviours, 2020 and 2023
- How has the frequency of online grocery shopping changed?
- Figure 4: Italy: changes in frequency of online grocery shopping in last 12 months, 2023
- How online grocery orders are received
- Figure 5: Italy: how online grocery orders are received, 2020 and 2023
- Retailers used for online grocery shopping
- Figure 6: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, 2020 and 2023
- Attitudes towards online grocery shopping
- Figure 7: Italy: attitudes towards online grocery shopping, 2023
- Companies and brands
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Issues and insights
- How can online grocery retailers respond to the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis?
- Non-essential online grocery deliveries have been hit hardest
- Partnerships point the way forward for rapid delivery propositions
- Continued price sensitivity suggests opportunity for own label expansion
- It’s not just about price
- Where are the opportunities for online grocery retailers to grow their revenues?
- Grow the user base
- Incentivise existing customers to do more of their grocery shopping online
- Pull the heart strings to appeal to families
- Segment the market by launching premium add-ons
- Appeal to customers who see sustainability as an important issue
- How can online grocery retailers respond to the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis?
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Market size
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- Figure 8: Italy: online grocery retailing market size, 2018-22
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Market drivers
- The economy
- Figure 9: Italy: key economic indicators, 2021-24
- Inflation
- Figure 10: Italy: annual average consumer prices* of food and drink, annual % change, 2018-22
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- Figure 11: Italy: monthly average consumer prices* of food and drink, annual % change, 2021-23
- Device ownership and online participation
- Figure 12: Italy: device ownership, 2023
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- Figure 13: Italy: devices used to shop online in the past three months, 2023
- Consumer confidence starts to recover again
- Figure 14: Italy: trends in levels of consumer confidence*, 2022-23
- A shift in working patterns: more people work from home than before COVID
- Ageing population: opportunity to turn grey into gold?
- Figure 15: Italy: population size and age structure, 2020-35
- Sustainability rises up the agenda
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- Figure 16: Italy: attitudes to sustainability issues, impacts and responsibilities, 2022
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis
- Italian consumers’ financial situation
- Figure 17: Italy: financial situation of Italian consumers, 2022-23
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- Figure 18: Italy: consumers’ financial situation compared to a year ago, 2023
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- Figure 19: Italy: consumers’ expectations of their financial situation in the next year, 2023
- Which cost of living pressures have Italian consumers been experiencing?
- Figure 20: Italy: issues affecting Italian consumers in the past two months, 2023
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- Figure 21: Italy: expected responses to rising prices, 2023
- The economy
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Engagement in online grocery shopping
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- Figure 22: Italy: online grocery shopping behaviours, 2020 and 2023
- Popularity of online grocery shopping among young bodes well for future
- Figure 23: Italy: online grocery shopping behaviours, by age, 2023
- Online grocery shopping is most developed in the north west
- Figure 24: Italy: online grocery shopping behaviours, by region, 2023
- Having children in the household is a major driver of online grocery shopping usage
- Figure 25: Italy: online grocery shopping behaviours, by age of children in household, 2023
- The vast majority of online grocery shoppers still shop mostly in-store
- Figure 26: Italy: distribution of online grocery shoppers, by online shopping behaviours, 2023
- Frequency of online grocery shopping
- Figure 27: Italy: changes in frequency of online grocery shopping in last 12 months, 2023
- Men likely to be shopping more online but less of a change among women
- Figure 28: Italy: changes in frequency of online grocery shopping in last 12 months, by gender, 2023
- Younger age groups most likely to be shopping online more
- Figure 29: Italy: changes in frequency of online grocery shopping in last 12 months, by age, 2023
- Affluence is the biggest factor influencing shopping more for groceries online
- Figure 30: Italy: changes in frequency of online grocery shopping in last 12 months, by net monthly household income, 2023
- Online grocery shopping frequency increases with engagement
- Figure 31: Italy: changes in frequency of online grocery shopping in last 12 months, by online grocery shopping behaviours, 2023
- Strongest growth in the home delivery sector
- Figure 32: Italy: changes in frequency of online grocery shopping in last 12 months, by how online grocery orders are received, 2023
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How online grocery orders are received
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- Figure 33: Italy: how online grocery orders are received, 2020 and 2023
- Older opt for home delivery, younger more likely to collect
- Figure 34: Italy: how online grocery orders are received, by age, 2023
- Big differences by working status
- Figure 35: Italy: how online grocery orders are received, by employment status, 2023
- Presence of children is a major factor influencing use of online grocery shopping
- Figure 36: Italy: how online grocery orders are received, by presence of children in household, 2023
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Retailers used for online grocery shopping
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- Figure 37: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, 2020 and 2023
- Coop appeals particularly to younger online grocery shoppers
- Figure 38: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, by age, 2023
- Amazon benefits from offering a truly nationwide online grocery shopping service
- Figure 39: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, by region, 2023
- People who shop online for groceries at Amazon and Esselunga are the most affluent
- Figure 40: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, by net monthly household income, 2023
- Presence of children is a driver for most supermarket online shopping services
- Figure 41: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, by presence of children in the household, 2023
- Esselunga has least overlap with Amazon
- Figure 42: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, by retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, 2023
- Committed online grocery shoppers significantly more likely to shop with Esselunga
- Figure 43: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, by online grocery shopping behaviours, 2023
- Most retailers are shopped at by customers who say they are doing more online grocery shopping rather than less
- Figure 44: Italy: retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, by changes in frequency of online grocery shopping in last 12 months, 2023
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Attitudes towards online grocery shopping
- Sustainability issues are still important to consumers, despite cost-of-living crisis
- Collection is a valuable driver of footfall
- Promotions play a significant role in influencing online grocery purchases
- A third would be happy to have online grocery deliveries unpacked for them
- Figure 45: Italy: attitudes towards online grocery shopping, 2023
- Young keen to embrace sustainability measures
- Figure 46: Italy: attitudes towards online grocery shopping, by age, 2023
- More affluent online grocery shoppers are keenest on sustainability initiatives
- Figure 47: Italy: attitudes towards online grocery shopping, by net monthly household income, 2023
- Parents say time saved ordering groceries online is worth the delivery fee
- Figure 48: Italy: attitudes towards online grocery shopping, by presence of children, 2023
- Most frequent online grocery shoppers most likely to order products on promotion
- Figure 49: Italy: attitudes towards online grocery shopping, by online shopping behaviours, 2023
- Esselunga and Conad shoppers particularly keen on promotions and unpacking
- Figure 50: Italy: attitudes towards online grocery shopping, by retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, 2023
- Sustainability issues are still important to consumers, despite cost-of-living crisis
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Companies and brands
- Store-based grocers
- Esselunga leads the way
- Conad rebrands and increases coverage
- Coop’s structure hampers provision of a truly national service
- Carrefour
- Online-only companies
- Online-only grocery specialists
- Online-only grocery generalists
- Online-only grocery delivery providers
- Store-based grocers
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Appendix – Research methodology, data sources and abbreviations
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Data sources
- Abbreviations
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