Food shopping is increasingly more “Italian” and sustainable, but wine purchases decrease

Italians are increasingly more attentive to the sustainability and Italian origin of products when choosing items from supermarket or hypermarket shelves. This is according to Observatory Immagino by Gs1 Italy, a biannual study which, in its edition No. 17, cross-references information found on the labels of over 145,000 consumer goods, representing 82.7% of total sales in Italian hypermarkets and supermarkets. An edition arising from the comparison between products in the database created by Servizio Immagino in December 2024, and those sold in large-scale retail as recorded by NielsenIQ. The choices reflect what Italians actively seek when shopping, as shown by the 27.9% sales share of products with claims related to Italian origin and 83.1% with claims and indications related to sustainability.
However, hypermarkets and supermarkets have also “certified” a decline in wine sales, highlighting the sector’s difficulties in gdo. According to Observatory Immagino by Gs1 Italy, “all indicators are negative for 2,401 DOC wines, which in 12 months lost -2.4% in volume and -0.9% in value, totaling nearly 526 million euros in sales through supermarkets and hypermarkets. The situation is even worse for the elite of Italian wines, those bearing the DOCG label. In 2024, they saw a -3.1% drop in volume, and a -1.8% drop in value, generating revenue close to 300 million euros. This trend was mainly driven by a contraction in supply (-1.2%), but demand also declined (-0.7%). Notably, promotional pressure increased by nearly one percentage point, now accounting for 43.3% of DOCG wine sales”.
The study also considered label and packaging characteristics of 100,407 food products in Observatory Immagino food world, selecting those with claims such as “made in Italy”, “produced in Italy”, “only Italian ingredients”, “100% Italian”, or European geographical indications (like IGP, DOP, DOCG, and DOC), the Italian flag, or the name of a specific region. The analysis focuses on the hypermarket and supermarket channel, comparing 2024 data to 2023. It is explained that products that present themselves as Italian, in the broad sense of the term, remain central to food shopping. This dominance was confirmed in 2024, despite a not brilliant performance of this product segment, which includes 27,978 items generating over 11.6 billion euros in sell-out. Compared to the previous year, turnover increased by +1.2%, but sales volume decreased by -0.7%. More than one in four products feature a reference to Italian origin on the label. The “Italian flag” is the most widespread and significant indicator in the entire segment, appearing on the labels of 16,461 products, or 16.4% of the food items analyzed. A key role in the Italian-themed shopping basket is played by agri-food products bearing European geographical indications. Considering only the presence of DOP (Protected Designation of Origin), DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin), or DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin) on labels, Observatory Immagino identified 4,888 items that in 2024 generated 1.6 billion euros in turnover. Compared to 2023, volumes remained stable (-0.1%) and sell-out value slightly increased (+2.1%), mainly due to demand growth (+1.3%) and inflation, which led to a 2.2% rise in average prices. Among product categories, notable growth was seen in grana-style cheeses, dry Charmat sparkling wine, portioned table cheeses, apples, and extra virgin olive oil. In contrast, sales of cured meats, Italian DOC/DOCG wines, and classic sparkling wine declined.. The analysis of individual geographical indications reveals a highly varied scenario. The best performance came from the 1,467 DOP products, which increased sales both in value (+5.8%, the highest rate in the Italian-origin segment, totaling nearly 803 million euros), and volume (+2.7%). This was driven by a strong supply push (+4.9%) and price increases (+3.1%). Additionally, the “regionalization” of food & beverage offerings in supermarkets and hypermarkets continues. Compared to 2023, the number of products indicating their region of origin or inspiration on the label has increased, and their sales have also grown. Observatory Immagino included 10,837 products in this segment (10.8% of the total analyzed), with a turnover of over 3.0 billion euros, slightly up from the previous year (+0.7%), driven by a +2.2% increase in prices.
Sustainability Chapter. In 2024, environmental sustainability claims enriched the labels of 120,797 products (83% of the total surveyed), which generated nearly 44.8 billion euros in sell-out value (91.8%). Compared to 2023, turnover increased by +2.1%, while sales volume decreased by -1.2%. Tips, advice, and service information that help consumers improve their contribution to the sustainability of the consumer goods supply chain - from recycling to proper use and better preservation of purchases - represent the most common thematic area on product labels. Observatory Immagino identified these on 111,767 products, which in 2024 generated over 43.3 billion euros in turnover. The contribution from the supply side (+3.4%) enabled a +2.5% increase in revenue compared to 2023, despite a -0.9% drop in volume. Among product categories, those showing positive trends included alcoholic beers, traditional biscuits, dog and cat nutrition, grana-style cheeses, chicken eggs, and extra virgin olive oil, the latter growing even in volume despite significant price increases. On the other hand, sales declined for cold cuts, Uht milk, snack cakes, multipack ice creams, ground coffee, and canned tuna (with the last two experiencing price increases disproportionate to the drop in volume).
As explained by Marco Cuppini, Research and Communication Director at Gs1 Italy, “innovation is emerging as the main driver of growth and success for companies. 7.8% of the products monitored by Immagino were launched in 2024, generating 3.2% of total turnover. Companies focused particularly on certain trends: notably “rich-in” products (rich in beneficial elements), “free-from” products (without or with reduced amounts of certain ingredients), products with traditional or beneficial ingredients, products with corporate social responsibility (Csr) certifications, and, in the end, green household care products”. Looking closer, 9.9% of “rich-in” products were new launches, generating 3.1% of turnover. Focus was placed on products rich in proteins, potassium, probiotics, vitamins, and calcium. 8.9% of “free-from” products were new launches, contributing 2.2% of total turnover. The most frequently used claims were “low fat”, “low calorie”, “no added sugars”, “low sugar”, and “no preservatives”. 8.1% of products for intolerances were new launches, with the highest share among “lactose-free” products (10.5%)”. It also emerged that “30% of buyers of new products generate 65% of sales. These are young shoppers (under 34), single, and with medium-high income. They prefer “free-from”, “rich-in”, vegan, organic products, enriched with seeds, and with green and sustainable characteristics”. The new edition of Observatory Immagino “highlights how innovation in consumer goods is driven by growing attention to health, wellness, sustainability, and product origin, with a significant impact on consumer choices and market dynamics”.