A Selective Recovery for Consumption

The year 2016 ended with national economic performance that was finally positive, but nevertheless poorer than expected towards the end. The recovery was still driven by household consumer spending and still not adequately supported by stronger trends for businesses, dampened by the difficulties of banks and an absence of investor confidence. On the other hand the various focal points of geopolitical tension are giving cause for concern: the new path taken by President Trump's America, the Middle East crisis and above all migration and Isis are impacting on everyday family life and affecting everyday decisions. In this context, the Italian people are changing in ways far beyond the impacts of the long economic crisis and their consumption is a faithful representation of the way they are and the way they live. Although two classic pillars in the history of consumption in Italy, automobiles and buildings, have returned to growth, the Italian people are still more frugal than in the past and oriented towards well-being, even if they do not make a few exceptions to the rule. They are above all the most innovative in Europe: smartphones and other digital technologies are now lifelong friends and it is these they look to to solve the small problems of everyday life. The Internet and its networks are where they seek new relationships, leisure opportunities and free-of-charge consumption. This change is particularly evident in our relationship with food: we fight waste in food, we eat less and more healthily, we are reducing our consumption of meat and we have a preference for food «without » (lactose, gluten, preservatives and chemical additives) and for «super foods» (e.g. ginger, curcuma and quinoa). While we put our faith in their Italian origin, we are at the same time more open to international culinary traditions. This metamorphosis of the Italian people and their continuous quest for change and renewal is the key to understanding Italy in 2017. And at the same time it poses a huge challenge for businesses to change and for the middlemen in society who must understand its direction and follow alongside its evolving preferences.