On the occasion of the second day of the 39th edition of Linkontroan event in the world of consumer goods NIQthe speakers Christian CentonzeHead of Consumer Advanced Analytics, NIQ e Mara GalbiatiHead of I – Solution Sinottica, GfK, in the speech “A journey into the consumers of our time” they photograph our country to reflect on the challenges that society has faced in recent years, from the pre-pandemic period to the present to project ourselves towards the future. At the level registry And sociological a change has emerged in priorities closely linked to the perception of the individual and the community which are reflected on consumption.
The state of Italian families today towards tomorrow
In fact, looking at thefamily structureboth in terms of composition and purchasing power, in a decade the current 6 million families with dependent children will decrease by 11% with 75% having a below average income. To date, the families without children I am middle age 7.5 million with an income above the average for 54% of cases, and finally there are 12.2 million mature families without children with an income above the average for 60%, they will grow by 17% in the next 10 years and reach an average age of 60-75 years.
The impact of the current context in the country is also reflected on consumption choices of Italians which prove to be categorically opposite: among those who pay more attention to savings by choosing Discount among the distribution channels (+1.9 pp in 2024 vs 2021), they radically modify the shopping cart with a change in the mix in 2024 which has impacted the sector of -1 billion euros (vs 2022), a greater frequency of purchase with an average number of products now recording -8% (vs 2021) while others select quality and healthy products (+20% vs 2019) and of a larger budget.
Four approaches to the future that divide Italians
With a now evident polarization of purchases – between Italians who seek more savings and those who aspire to greater value – to have a snapshot perspective of consumption and opportunities for the market, NIQ has cross-referenced the consumption data with the Sinottica GfK research focused on the open or closed propensity to the future and the interest towards the individual or the community and four different approaches have been identified: the future is now or it is an opportunity to be managed, it does not exist and is not of interest or even frightening.
Each classification presents specific characteristics with respect to various current themes and obviously also with respect to approaches to consumption and above all to the needs to be satisfied, be they economic, social and communicative. Families with dependent children mainly fall into the sphere that perceives the future negatively due to current economic concernsunlike young and mature families, i.e. families without children, who fall within the more positive approach towards tomorrow.
In large-scale consumption this is also reflected in purchases, families with children today give up fruit and vegetables in favor of comfort food unlike the other group of mature or childless families, therefore depending on different priorities, two totally different carts are analyzed and also prices.
The cases of Artificial Intelligence, climate emergency and gender equality
For example, regarding theArtificial intelligence, Italians focused only on the present, with a strong individualistic perception, indicate this technological evolution as fundamental for their economic success, unlike the more fearful ones who reject the use of AI. Regarding the issue ofclimate emergency, the topic is a priority for those who think that the future is an opportunity to be seized while for those who are centered on today it is a marginal topic. A different case for gender equality as it is a social and also aspirational issue which transversally meets the support of Italians who approach the future in a more positive way despite being positioned on different levels by age.
Social levers and communication are fundamental to responding to needs
The methods of engagement of Italian families, even in mass consumption, change based on their relationship with the future. For consumers who are more focused on today, methods of stimulation and personal growth are valid to generate attention, for those who think that the future is an opportunity, methods focused on collective growth will have more value. On the contrary, for those who are not interested in the future, ways of consolation and help are needed. Finally, reassurance and closeness are conveyed to those who are scared of the future.
Also communication towards consumers changes with changes in age and the family group to which they belong, those who are younger and projected towards the future prefer channels such as the podcast, while newspapers and radio are the media favored by the more mature groups, those who believe in the opportunities of the future. Instead, those who are focused on current issues use digital channels and social media, while those who use TV are more tied to traditional values.
Involve the families of the future now
For operators in the consumer goods sector, the elective target for value innovation are families of middle age and without children, who – like mature families without dependent children – have more purchasing power, greater attention to well-being and openness to multi-channel use. At the level of daily spending, a store must study its current and prospective customers in detail and analytically. In fact, knowing the proportions of your customers, compared to the two largest groups, offers an enormous opportunity in terms of assortment optimization.
