In just over a decade, discount grocery stores have nearly doubled their presence in Italy. If in 2010
was a modest 12.6 percent, by 2023 it had surged to 25 percent. During challenging times, consumers tend to exhibit certain behaviors, such as reducing dining out frequency or cutting back on expensive products. However, when it comes to essential activities such as grocery shopping, customers facing financial constraints due to inflation often turn to private labels and shift towards discount stores. While supermarkets and hypermarkets still dominate the
, discount stores have swiftly gained ground, now coming in close behind and poised to further capitalize in this uncertain period.
Discount store industry
In 2022, discount stores in Italy achieved
sales amounting to nearly 24 billion euros, with a total of 5,692
stores operating throughout the country. The region of Lombardy, owing to its size and population, had the highest number of outlets. However, this type of retail format had a more significant presence in southern regions like Sicily, Sardinia, and Apulia, where it captured over a third of the
total retail market share. Among
discounters, the leadership position in the country was held by Eurospin, a national retailer headquartered in the town of San Martino Buon Albergo. Since its establishment, Eurospin has expanded its operations across various regions in Italy, as well as internationally in Slovenia and Croatia, and commanding a 31 percent market share in the discount store segment. The German-based Lidl followed closely behind with a share of just over 22 percent, while another Italian brand, MD, secured the third position. Despite their strong presence in the Italian discount retail market, these three brands collectively held less than a seven percent
market share in the overall retail sector of the country.
Inflation and consumer behavior
How did consumers act to regain purchasing power? They increasingly sought solace in
private labels, which reached their highest market share of nearly 21 percent in 2022. Private labels have typically been associated with discount stores and tend to have a strong presence in such establishments. When
deciding on their preferred grocer, Italian consumers primarily considered convenience and affordability as key factors. Private labels and the discount channel have thus acted as a safety net against inflation, despite the latter reporting higher product prices, as evidenced by the example of the chain Aldi, which saw an
average price increase of 18 percent between 2022 and 2023. As inflation and food prices continued to rise,
Italians' average yearly expenditure in this type of retail format also increased. Only time will tell if the discount retail sector can sustain its growth momentum and capture more market share, particularly should rising prices begin to stabilize.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no
liability for the information given being complete or correct.
Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.
