Inflation hits hard and Italians adapt: ​​96% change the “cart”

The new economic world, where inflation has returned to sting after about a quarter of a century, provokes the most classic reaction of homo italicus: it adapts.

In the next 12 months, 96% of Italians will review their spending priorities, reducing spending outside the home, in the knowledge that due to the rise in energy prices and consumer products they will have to spend more. This was revealed by the updated data from NielsenIQ on the new purchasing behaviors and methods of Italian families as a response to the crisis and inflation underway. Pandemic, war and inflation are changing the current scenario and to manage this change NielsenIQ has photographed some trends that affect the purchasing habits of families.

“Today, even those assets stable are seeing their certainties and security undermined, and in a few months they have lost 20 points of trust”, explained Debora Costi and Marco Pellicci, of NielsenIQ, presenting the new analysis on the occasion of the “Linkontro 2022 “, in Sardinia. “In mass consumption, inflation today is 4.8%, but consumers have responded by applying self-defense strategies by changing the mix of products in their shopping cart, thus reducing real inflation to 2.6%”, underline the two. experts.

In addition, they add, “consumers have also diversified the purchasing channel, which is becoming more and more hybrid (7 different brands in a year and also new channels): eCommerce and discount stores are growing, highlighting the need for convenience and comfort. Channels that conquer, in the first quarter, 3 points of share compared to the pre-pandemic. In particular, the discount reaches 20% of the value of the consumer market ».

Unfortunately, the rush of inflation triggered by the conflict in Ukraine in less than three months has almost doubled the number of poor Italian families. The new data elaborated by NielsenIQ say that “looking ahead, in the next 12 months, Italians will spend much more spending on consumption at home than on those outside the home. “This is 92% of the families interviewed and the consumer is aware that the inflationary wave will bring greater difficulties in the near future, which is why he will take into account price increases and apply savings strategies when he goes shopping”. In detail, the experts explain, the so-called struggles, or families in economic difficulty, were 10% in February and became 17% in mid-May. These are families, NielsenIQ experts explain, who must rationalize spending by giving priority to primary goods. It is the most fragile slice of the population, the one that risks scenarios of widespread poverty. For these families, “the low price is the first lever for choosing consumer products”.

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