Italian Families Increasingly Opt for Fresh Produce

ISMEA has reported a 5.2% increase in household food spending in the first half of 2025, driven by rising purchase frequency and a strengthening preference for products typical of the Mediterranean diet. Supermarkets remain the leading channel for these purchases.

In the first half of 2025, Italian household food purchases gained momentum. According to the latest ISMEA report, household spending grew 5.2% year-on-year (after 2% in 2024), fueled not only by rising prices but also by a widespread increase in volumes. One clear indicator of renewed consumer confidence is a 10% increase in purchase frequency. A closer look at sales by category provides further insight.

Fresh produce products lead the sector in volume growth:

• Vegetables: +4.9%
• Eggs: +7.5%
• Fish: +3.7%
• Bread: +4.9%
• Cheese: +5.3%

Spending on fresh produce products is rising in parallel:

• Fresh vegetables: +5.6%
• Eggs: +13.2%
• Fresh fish: +10.2%
• Fresh bread: +6.1%
• Fresh cheeses: +8.6%

Some categories, however, are losing ground. Fresh milk volumes declined by 3.9%, while wine volumes fell by 2.5%, despite a modest increase in spending (+1.9%). Among beverages, sparkling wines performed strongly (+8.8%), while bottled water (+3.9%) and non-alcoholic beverages (+3.2%) also saw growth.

In the oils category, extra virgin olive oil is seeing a remarkable surge, with volumes up 15%, aided by sharply declining average prices (-18%). By contrast, seed oils experienced a volume decline of 6.4%.

To get in touch with our Italy team