Families willing to spend a little more for extra virgin olive oil

Despite inflation running at a rate of 6% and with it also the price increases in the shopping cart, for some products such as extra virgin olive oil, Italian families will continue to prefer the origin of the food, even at the cost of spending a little ' moreover. She is convinced of it Roberta Rogeri (in the picture) of the Office Price of Veneto Dop Extra Virgin Olive Oil – weekly travel companion of the readers of olive news with the punctual columns on olive oil prices – which helps us understand how these increases are influencing behavior and consumption.
Dr. Ruggeri, what purchase changes are occurring in families?
“The positive trends in the consumer goods sector that occurred in the two years of the full pandemic have slowed down with the current geopolitical scenario. This has led to a rise in inflation and a slowdown in economic growth. How are consumers reacting? They are simply using the very old strategy of savings. This would make it possible to offset the effects of rising prices. Right now families are changing the mix of products they put in their shopping cart, they are making more careful purchases and are selecting products that have lower prices".
Could the watchword for Italian families be to optimize purchases?
“Italian families now, more than a year or two ago, plan their shopping lists, thus avoiding unnecessary purchases. In this way, the purchases of premium products and those of branded products will decrease and, if it does, it will only be if these are in promotion. There will also be a reduction in quantities, perhaps in favor of quality”.
Will there be a search for promotions then?
“Families will pay more attention to promotions and cheaper prices. They will go to the hypermarket to find the best combination of assortment and offers, while for greater discounts they will go to the discount store or local markets. Convenience will also be sought on the web, relying on e-commerce for shopping. However, at the moment, the trend towards savings is not significantly affecting 100% Italian products, with PDO and PGI stamps, with organic brands".
If this is the horizon, will branded products still have broad consensus for influencing purchasing decisions?
“Branded products are and will continue to be important in purchasing decisions. For pasta, they will have influences in families for about 30% and the same percentage will be for frozen foods. Other products, such as extra virgin olive oil or meat, fruit, vegetables, eggs, the origin of the raw materials will count for over 60% of families”.