Do purchasing choices change society? Yes for 64% of Italians versus 44% of Europeans

On the one hand a greater confidence in being able to influence economic and social trends with one's daily purchasing choices (where a marked tenacity in supporting national products is confirmed), on the other a lesser propensity to boycott individual brands. These are the attitudes that differentiate the buying habits of Italians compared to Europeans according to the ninth edition of the Behaviour Change by YouGov, a six-monthly report on the world of FMCG that investigates how the preferences of more than 15,000 shoppers in 21 European countries evolve.

More in detail, almost two out of three Italians (64%) believe that their daily purchasing choices "can influence society", a percentage well above the European average (44%). to the detriment of choices such as boycotting which, for different reasons, is making a comeback in other countries such as Denmark or Serbia, say YouGov, and which instead in Italy has few adherents (19%).

47% of the sample said they would increase their support for local producers in the next six months: 75% of consumers prefer to buy local brands (especially in the South) and 83% made in Italy.
"This emotional bond, combined with a solid distribution and promotion strategy anchored in the regional narrative, is at the basis of the commercial success of some brands that are strongly rooted in the territory," stresses YouGov, which also gives some concrete examples. This is the case of brands such as La Molisana and Rummo, which "have seen their penetration grow significantly (from 40.1% to 44.4% and from 27.5% to 39.3% respectively) between 2022 and 2024".

Or like the Apulian beer Raffo (brand of Asahi-Peroni) that "has successfully ridden the local appeal climbing 53 positions in the latest YouGov Brand Footprint ranking for beverages, with a value increased by 170% and penetration jumped from 1.8% to 10.2% in the last year". This growth is reminiscent of the cases of the Sardinian Ichnusa and the Sicilian Birra Messina (now both in Heineken's portfolio).
But the big names in the industry are also betting on the evocative power of the Italian spirit: 'this is the case of Ferrero, which recently launched a limited edition pack for its Nutella Buongiorno campaign in which it celebrated Italian landscapes illuminated by the light of dawn', YouGov exemplifies with Mutti and Giovanni Rana.

On a more general level, the factors influencing purchasing behaviour are quality (41%), discounts and promotions (40%) and avoiding waste (38%). One in five Italians then declare themselves open to novelty, with peaks for personal care items (38%), detergents and cleaners (37%), confectionery and biscuits (37%), dairy products (34%) and bread and bakery products (28%).