Tony Loeb

🛒 In 2024, Italy's Omnichannel GDO revenue reached €135.1 billion, a +1.8% increase over 2023. Leading the growth were Drug Specialists (+8.8%), Supermarkets (+2.6%), Discounts (+2.3%), and Superstores (+2.1%), while Free Services (-2.4%) and Iper>4500 (-1.9%) declined. Packaged Consumption (LCC) grew by +2%, with Grocery (+1.9%) and Fresh (+1.8%) sectors also up. December sales promotions rose to 26.2%, a +1.8 pp increase from 2023. December 2024 alone saw €14.4 billion in revenue, with Drug Specialists (+5.1%) leading. Distributor brand (MDD) products made up 21.6% of LCC in Hypermarkets, Supermarkets, and Free Services, and 30% across all channels (including Discounts). Grocery value dipped slightly in December 2024 (-0.5% vs. December 2023), with volume down by -1.1%.

🍨 AstraRicerche's study for the Istituto del Gelato Italiano showed that 54% of foreigners seek Italian ice cream in their home countries after tasting it in Italy. Over 63% of respondents consume it even during colder months. The research involved consumers from the US, UK, Spain, France, and Germany. Key attributes valued are traditional Italian recipes (62.1%), Italian production or company origin (32.6%), and less so, Italy-themed packaging (17%). Taste is the top reason for preference (76.6%), followed by creaminess (75.2%), and quality of ingredients (67.3%). Italian ice cream is associated with genuineness and health (56.1%) and as a symbol of Made in Italy (63.5%). Consumption habits show 33.6% consume it 4-6 times out of 10, and 27.1% choose it for 70% of their consumption. Italy produced 168,170 tons of ice cream in 2023 with a per capita consumption of 2.14 kg. Sales remained stable from January to September 2024 with 3.3 billion portions sold.