Supermarkets - Italy - November 2018
“Although consumer spending and retail sales growth appears to have slowed in 2018, the leading grocery retailers in Italy have continued to perform well. As a result, there is ongoing consolidation in what has traditionally been a highly fragmented market. Once reluctant to embrace the online channel, most of the leading players have now recognised the need to offer an e-commerce service and are experimenting with different ways to create a compelling multichannel experience. This will only make the leading players more dominant in the Italian grocery market.”
– Samantha Dover, Senior Retail Analyst
This Report looks at the following areas:
- The rise of the discounters
- The opportunity that lies in food waste reduction
What you get
What's included
- Consumer Attitudes and Behaviour
- Market data
- Competitive analysis
- Risks and Opportunities
- What’s Next
- Market Trends
This market report provides in-depth analysis and insight supported by a range of data. At the same time, introductory and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the issues covered.
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Market
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Consumer
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Brand/Company
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Data
Market reports provide appendices of data to support the research and insight produced. Our tables of data are easily manipulated and downloadable to support your research needs and covers factors from consumer attitudes to market forecasts.

* This is a sample representation of the report layout and does not reflect the research included in this report.
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Table of contents
Overview
- What you need to know
- Areas covered in this Report
- What you need to know
Executive Summary
- The market
- Consumer spending
- Figure 1: Italy: annual percentage change in consumer spending on food and beverages, 2013-17
- Sector size and forecast
- Figure 2: Italy: food retailers, sales (ex VAT), 2013-22
- Channels of distribution
- Figure 3: Italy: estimated distribution of spending on food and beverages, 2017
- Companies and brands
- Market shares
- Figure 4: Italy: top 10 grocers’ shares of all food retailers’ sales, 2017
- Leading players
- Online
- Figure 5: Italy: online purchasing, 2008-17
- The consumer
- Who shops for groceries
- How they shop
- Figure 6: Italy: how they shop for groceries, September 2018
- Where they shop
- Figure 7: Italy: where they shop for groceries, September 2018
- Attitudes to shopping for groceries
- Figure 8: Italy: attitudes to buying groceries, September 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
- The rise of the discounters
- The facts
- The implications
- The opportunity that lies in food waste reduction
- The facts
- The implications
- The rise of the discounters
The Market – What You Need to Know
- Spending falling in real terms
- Growth in the sector held back by smaller players
- Grocers remain dominant
- Spending falling in real terms
Consumer Spending
- Consumer spending growth slows
- Figure 9: Italy: consumer spending on food, drink and tobacco (inc VAT), 2013-18
- Consumer spending growth slows
Sector Size and Forecast
- Sector expected to grow just 0.3% in 2018
- Figure 10: Italy: food retailers, sales (ex VAT), 2013-18
- Growth forecast to accelerate in 2019
- Figure 11: Italy: food retailers, forecast sales (ex VAT), 2018-23
- Sector expected to grow just 0.3% in 2018
Inflation
- Figure 12: Italy: consumer prices* of food and drink, annual % change, 2013-17
- Figure 13: Italy: consumer prices* of food and drink, annual % change, January 2017-October 2018
Channels of Distribution
- Non-specialists gaining market share
- Figure 14: Italy: estimated distribution of spending on food and beverages, 2017
- Figure 15: Italy: estimated distribution of spending on food and beverages, 2013-17
- Non-specialists gaining market share
Leading Players – What You Need to Know
- A new leading player in the Italian grocery sector
- Discounters increase market share
- Online spending expected to reach €626 million
- A new leading player in the Italian grocery sector
Leading Players
- Conad replaces Coop Italia as the leading player
- Figure 16: Italy: leading grocers, sales (ex VAT), 2015-17
- Discounters continue to expand
- Figure 17: Italy: leading grocers, outlets, 2015-17
- Sales per outlet
- Figure 18: Italy: leading grocers, sales per outlet (ex VAT), 2015-17
- Conad replaces Coop Italia as the leading player
Market Shares
- Consolidation in the grocery sector
- Figure 19: Italy: leading grocers shares of all food retailers sales, 2015-17
- Consolidation in the grocery sector
Online
- Online activity
- Figure 20: Italy: online purchasing, 2008-17
- Online grocery market size
- Leading online players
- Online activity
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- Grocery shopping habits vary by age
- Online remains small
- Coop Italia, Conad and Lidl most used
- Reiterating the importance of sustainability and fresh produce
- Grocery shopping habits vary by age
Who Shops for Groceries
- More than half take responsibility for grocery shopping
- Figure 21: Italy: who shops for groceries, September 2018
- More than half take responsibility for grocery shopping
How They Shop for Groceries
- Most still shop in-store, but online usage growing
- Figure 22: Italy: how they shop for groceries, September 2018
- Most still shop in-store, but online usage growing
Where They Shop for Groceries
- Coop Italia is the most-used grocery retailer
- Figure 23: Italy: where they shop for groceries, net of responses, September 2018
- Lidl is a popular secondary retailer
- Figure 24: Italy: where they shop for groceries, September 2018
- Leading players attract older, more affluent customer base
- Figure 25: Italy: where they shop for groceries, net of responses, by age and income, September 2018
- Most people shop with multiple retailers
- Figure 26: Italy: repertoire of grocery retailers used, September 2018
- Coop shoppers show an appetite for purchasing online
- Figure 27: Italy: how they shop for groceries by grocery retailers where the most money is spent, September 2018
- Coop Italia is the most-used grocery retailer
Attitudes to Grocery Shopping
- Fresh produce is a key driver in where people choose to shop
- Figure 28: Italy: attitudes to fresh foods, September 2018
- Most think food waste is a problem
- Figure 29: Italy: attitudes to food waste, September 2018
- Concerns over plastic packaging are notable
- Figure 30: Italy: attitudes to food packaging, September 2018
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Abbreviations
Aldi
- What we think
- Encouraging ‘one-stop shopping’
- Launching in Italy
- Growing harmonisation
- Company background
- Company performance
- Figure 31: Aldi: estimated group financial performance, 2013-17
- Figure 32: Aldi: outlet data, 2013-17
- Retail offering
Auchan
- What we think
- Growing focus on proximity
- Single brand transformation continues
- Horizon alliance offers opportunity to boost buying power
- Recovering lost ground on digital
- Company background
- Company performance
- Figure 33: Auchan: group financial performance, 2013-17
- Figure 34: Auchan: outlet data, 2013-17
- Retail offering
Carrefour
- What we think
- The Bompard era and Carrefour 2022 transformation plan
- New blood
- The hypermarket format
- Remodellings and transformations in all countries
- Partnerships
- Online
- Specialist e-commerce sites
- Organics
- Company background
- Company performance
- Figure 35: Carrefour: group financial performance, 2013-17
- Figure 36: Carrefour: outlet data, 2013-17
- Figure 37: Carrefour: store numbers by country, December 2017
- Figure 38: Carrefour (Europe): outlet numbers by format, 2013-17
- Retail offering
Rewe
- What we think
- More prominence for German goods and animal welfare
- Continued focus on sustainability
- EU directive threatens structure of Rewe and similar businesses
- Company background
- Company performance
- Figure 39: Rewe: group financial performance, 2013-17
- Figure 40: Rewe: outlet data, 2013-17
- Retail offering
Schwarz Group
- What we think
- Tight controls the key
- Problems in fresh foods
- Lessons from the UK
- Online
- Where next?
- Company background
- Company performance
- Figure 41: Schwarz Group: group financial performance, 2013/14-2017/18
- Figure 42: Schwarz Group: outlet data, 2013/14-2017/18
- Retail offering
Supermarkets - Italy - November 2018