Sobriety guides consumption in 2023, according to the report prepared by the Coop Italia Study Office based on two surveys conducted in December 2022.
The first survey was conducted on a representative sample of Italian consumers, the second on the community of experts from the italiani.coop portal.
Trust returns
Italian consumers – still marked by the effects of the pandemic, as well as by war bulletins and grappling with the daily high cost of living – face the new year with an emotional state of fear (33%) and anxiety (22%), but above all trust (39%) and expectation (38%).
Trust increases by 12 percentage points compared to four months ago (the previous survey Coop one is from August 2022), while darker feelings decrease, such as irritation (-12%) and anger (-6%).
Fear of extreme poverty
Italians slow down. Most declare they want to spend more time with family (56%). But suffering is widespread:
- 18% faced permanent food insecurity in 2022 (about 9 million),
- 25% fears true poverty in 2023 (not having money for food, transport, clothes, school),
- 66% of the sample would not know how to cope with an unexpected and unavoidable expense of 850 euros.
Consumption 2023, return to essentials
One Italian in two hopes to keep their family expenses stable in 2023, 45% expects to spend more on bills, 32% on food and drinks.
Consumption for 2023 are imagined reduced to the bone, out of necessity, on food and health. Among extra expenses is the home, which 67% of respondents say they want to renovate.
Zero waste at the table
80% of Italians interviewed state they want to face the rising prices also through a change in their eating habits. Healthier diets, less meat (meatless), but also more sobriety. No waste nor frills (zero waste, no frills).
40% of managers of the sector Food & Beverage interviewed in turn predict a 2023 characterized by sobriety and food essentiality. New products on shelves will be pasta and flours made with Ancient grains, products low carb and higher protein content.
Cultivated meat in vitro (lab meat) – despite Coldiretti's anathemas – would be favored over its plant-based alternatives (plant-based) by one Italian out of five, in case they have to give up the real one.
A year of stagnation
At the macroeconomic level, Italian managers predict a year of stagnation but not decline (GDP 2023 +0.2%, hopefully), thanks to partial reduction of gas prices. With astill high inflation but lower than 2022 (+6.1%, according to the managers Italians).
The most recent trends also motivate a glimmer of optimism about a possible, albeit contained, recovery in consumption. With an estimated growth forecast of +1.4%, 2023 over 2022, net of inflation.
High food prices until summer
What worries the most are instead mainly consumption and the economic results of the food supply chain. The managers food and beverage sector estimates:
- a first slowdown in prices by summer 2023,
- inflation on processed food products still high (+6.7% average in 2023),
- the contraction of sales in large-scale retail (-0.9% in volume),
- the worsening profitability of industry and distribution (fear shared by 66% of managers interviewed). With consequent decrease in investments (37%) and impacts on employment (27%).
Prospects
To get out of this crisis, the managers They indicate recourse to innovation and restructuring at every level. In the organization of business processes, in the product and service up to the channels and sales network. And the Distributor’s Brand is indicated as the linchpin.
The full version of the Coop Report 2022 is available from January 20, 2023 on www.italiani.coop.
Professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and magazines (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). Author of journalistic investigations on food, she has published the book 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
