Altroconsumo: save up to €3,790 a year by choosing the right retailer and products
A survey on value for money carried out across 1,158 shops in 67 cities. In Milan, the price difference when choosing shops is 1,390 euros; in the South, it is less than 50 euros. Eurospin is once again confirmed as the best-value chain.
Choosing the right shop, the right outlet and the right type of product to put in your trolley can save you far more money than you might imagine. According to the latest survey by Altroconsumo, a family of four that spends an average of 9,450 euros a year on groceries can save as much as 3,790 euros (i.e. 40 per cent) if they buy the best-value products at the cheapest supermarket chain.
How to save money
The potential savings vary from city to city and depending on the type of retailer. They also vary depending on whether you prefer supermarkets and branded products, or choose the cheapest shop in town rather than the most expensive one. The consumer association estimates potential savings of up to €1,390 a year for an average family in the city with the most competition – namely Milan – representing an 18 per cent reduction in the cost of a typical shopping basket. Next come Bologna, Treviso, Reggio Emilia and Venice, all offering savings of over €1,100 on a typical shopping basket. In the south, however, the differences between shops are much smaller, and potential savings can even fall below €50 in some towns.
This is no small matter at a time when prices remain high, even though the rate of price rises has slowed (+1 per cent in February–March 2026 in the discount stores, hypermarkets and supermarkets surveyed, compared with the +2 per cent recorded in 2025). However, let us not forget that we are emerging from years of high inflation (in 2023 we recorded a rise of 12 per cent) and that, in the meantime, war has broken out in Iran, with rises in oil and energy prices that could still have an impact on household spending.
Altroconsumo has surveyed prices at 1,158 hypermarkets, supermarkets and discount stores across 67 cities: the resulting map shows where shoppers can spend the least, and the savings appear to be most pronounced in high-income areas, particularly at the cheapest outlets surveyed in Veneto, Tuscany and Lombardy.
The best-value signs
The cheapest products can be found on the shelves of Eurospin supermarkets, which once again this year (the Altroconsumo survey is conducted annually) remain the place where you can spend the least of all. In general, discount retailers dominate the top positions and, compared with 2025, have also shown some improvements in terms of value for money. Supermarkets and hypermarkets, on the other hand, are falling behind, as it becomes increasingly difficult for them to compete on the basis of the lowest prices: the leading traditional chain, Ipercoop, scores 117 points, which means that its prices are 17 per cent higher than those of the leading discount store.
