Osservatorio Immagino: free from, rich-in, lifestyle and “vintage” in the new shopping basket

According to the latest edition of the GS1 Italy Osservatorio Immagino, Italians’ approach to shopping is undergoing major change between greater attention to wellbeing, the need for reassurance and the emergence of specific lifestyles.

Free from remains at the forefront

The half-yearly study through which GS1 Italy monitors Italians’ consumption habits via the labels of products purchased in supermarkets, hypermarkets and self-service stores, and digitised by the Immagino service of GS1 Italy Servizi, shows that free from remains the most important and widespread phenomenon in Italians’ food shopping: it has come to account for 24,4% of the products surveyed and 29,4% of their sales.

In 2025, the more than 22.000 products whose labels indicate the absence or reduced content of a nutrient, additive and/or ingredient came close to 12,6 billion euros in sell-out, with annual growth of 3,2% in value and 1,4% in volume. Analysing the performance of 26 claims, the Osservatorio Immagino found that food intolerances play a central role in Italians’ purchasing choices, but also highlighted greater attention to reducing or eliminating sugars, fats and certain additives, such as preservatives.

In the area of food intolerances, the most appreciated benefit remains gluten-free, a feature shared by 9,5% of the products monitored, with over 3,4 billion euros in sell-out, up 2,7% year on year, while volumes held substantially steady (+0,9%). The “lactose-free” sector appears more dynamic: in one year, it increased its turnover by 7,7%, exceeding 2,4 billion euros, and its volumes by 5,5%, thanks to a broad range consisting of 3.170 products (3,4% of the total). Within the broad free-from universe, the Osservatorio Immagino also identified “minor” but highly dynamic claims that add new dimensions to this consumption phenomenon. These include “antibiotic-free” (+12,4% in value and +9,9% in volume), “residue-free/zero residue/no residues” (+14,3% in value and +14,8% in volume) and “nitrite-free” (+9,7% in value and +10,3% in volume).

Rich-in products are growing

Also gaining space in the Italian shopping basket are rich-in products, meaning those with a high content of nutrients. This is a constantly growing phenomenon, for which the Osservatorio Immagino monitors 13 claims which in 2025 were shared by 12.077 products with over 5,9 billion euros in sell-out. Rich-in represents 14% of the food & beverage market, both in terms of product count and turnover, and during the year analysed it grew by 2,8% in value and 2,0 in volume.

“Protein” claims are the kings of rich-in, with 4.065 products and 5% of the basket’s turnover, and in 2025 they began growing again, ending the year with +5,1% in volume and +6,3% in value, for over 2,1 billion euros in sell-out. And the rich-in landscape is constantly evolving and being redefined. The claims “live cultures”, “magnesium”, “potassium”, “calcium” and “fibre” increased sales both in value and volume. Other claims—such as “vitamins” and “zinc”—remained fairly stable, while others—such as “Omega 3”, “iodine” and “wholegrain””—lost momentum due to declines in both demand and supply.

Lifestyles influence consumption

Lifestyle is another force changing the structure of the food & beverage market. Considering only products intended for specific lifestyles, the Osservatorio Immagino identified 5.776 products with 3,2 billion euros in sell-out and an annual trend of +3,1% in value and +2,1% in volume. The dominant claim is “veg”, with 5.397 products and over 3 billion euros in sales, and a positive annual trend: +2,5% in value and +1,6% in volume.

Within the veg segment, the “vegan” indication stands out, appearing on 4.116 products and with sales up by around 2% to 1,5 billion euros. Claims such as “plant based” (+36,2% in value and +34,0% in volume) also grew in the lifestyle shopping basket, reaching 74,4 million euros in sell-out; “alternative” (+15,7% in value and +16,8% in volume) with 80,2 million euros in sales; and “plant-based” (+4,2% in value and +5,0% in volume), which exceeded 4,4 million euros.

Quality and tradition enter the shopping basket

The latest edition of the Osservatorio Immagino introduced a new shopping basket: one bringing together food products whose labels refer to quality and tradition. It is a wide-ranging phenomenon: the 14 claims identified are present on pack on 6.867 products, for which Italians in 2025 spent more than 3,5 billion euros, i.e. 2,5% more than 2024, with volumes increasing by 1,6%. The most widespread and significant claim is “supply chain”, with 2.845 products and over 2 billion euros in sell-out; it remained stable in volume and grew slightly in value (+1,7%) compared with 2024.

More dynamic was “traditional”, the second claim by sell-out, with over 462 million euros and 915 products, growing over 12 months by 3,2% in value and 1% in volume. The best performance came from “handmade”, appearing on the labels of 352 products with over 203 million euros in sales and annual growth of 8,7% in value and 8,2% in volume. Among the less widespread claims, the Osservatorio Immagino recorded very positive performances for “artisan”, “regional” and “local”.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.