Italian Shoppers Opt For Convenience Over Price, Study Finds

In the annual Altroconsumo ranking, Esselunga, NaturaSi’, and Ipercoop shared the top spot among national hypermarkets and supermarkets.

NaturaSi’ excelled in areas like organic product quality, checkout speed, and overall product quality, achieving scores above 80 out of 100 in each category. Discount stores like Aldi and Eurospin received high ratings, reflecting their growing popularity among cost-conscious consumers. All evaluated discount stores received at least a ‘good’ rating.

Customer Satisfaction

Local chains, while less widespread, achieved high customer satisfaction. Eleven out of 40 evaluated local chains received ‘excellent’ ratings, with Dem, Rossetto, Mega, and Iperal as leaders. Tosano stood out with a record score for assortment and competitive pricing.

In the online shopping category, Esselunga, Eurospin, and Coop emerged as top performers.

Esselunga, Cadoro, and INTERSPAR ranked highest for in-store comfort. Cadoro, Alì, and Mega topped the list for price transparency.

NaturaSì and Ipercoop excelled in private label product quality. Aldi and Tosano were most appreciated for convenient pricing.

Other Trends

Comparison of data from 2024 and 2023 revealed a relatively stable ranking among supermarket brands. While most brands maintained their positions, a slight decline of one point occurred in the overall rating for all brands.

Longer wait times at the checkout negatively impacted customer satisfaction. Consumers expressed less satisfaction with the quality of fresh products.

Although price increases have slowed, prices remain high, leading to a 5% decrease in average monthly supermarket spending by families. Italian families are increasingly focused on saving money, leading to a 5% reduction in overall supermarket spending to €387 per month.

Altroconsumo surveyed over 12,000 consumers to determine the most popular supermarket brands in Italy.

ESM