Federdistribuzione, double the number of companies with a budget on diversity and inclusion

Attention to diversity, equity and inclusion issues is growing among modern distribution companies. This is shown by the growing presence of managerial committees dedicated to these issues and the doubling of companies that have a dedicated budget, as emerged in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 2025 Observatory, which was realised by Federdistribuzione and Altis Graduate School of Sustainable Management of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The Observatory monitors the evolution of the commitment of distribution companies on the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion and provides a tool for comparing and sharing best practices among companies.

The 27 large companies in the distribution sector that were involved provided an overview of the evolution of DE&I policies in the period 2024-2025. Among the most relevant data is the increase in the number of companies with management committees dedicated to DE&I, from 20% to 37%, and the growth of structured company policies on these issues, from 26.7% to 48.1%. Above all, there is the fact that the allocation of budgets dedicated to DE&I has more than doubled from 33.3% to 70.4% of companies in the 2024-2025 period.

At the same time, the adoption of monitoring tools is also growing, from 43.3% to 51.8%, with an increase in periodic control systems from 10.0% to 33.3%. In the area of human resources management, the focus on merit improves: 81.5% (it was 70% in 2024) of companies declare that they adopt professional advancement paths free of bias. Data on actively listening to employees is also positive, rising from 73.3% to 85.2%, and on their involvement in decision-making processes, from 63.3% to 92.6%. In addition, attention to respectful and non-discriminatory communication is also growing: 44.4% of companies provide training on inclusive language, against 13.3% in the previous survey. With regard to the inclusion of people with disabilities, both the presence of internal support figures increases, from 33.3% to 44.4%, and the monitoring of the satisfaction of workers with disabilities, from 20% to 29.6%.

The second edition of the Observatory confirms that 'Modern Distribution companies are strongly oriented towards the valorisation of diversity and the application of the principles of equity and inclusion through concrete company practices,' says Francesco Quattrone, Director of the Labour and Trade Union Relations Area of Federdistribuzione. The significant growth of investments, monitoring tools, and dedicated initiatives demonstrates not only a constant commitment, but also a growing awareness of the strategic role that DE&I plays in relations with the people who work in our companies, in the sustainable development of companies, and in the social progress of our country'. For Matteo Pedrini, Professor of Corporate Strategy at the Catholic University and Director of ALTIS, 'the results of the second edition of the DE&I Observatory show us a Modern Distribution sector that has embarked on a path on this front. Structured policies, dedicated budgets and the active involvement of people are signs of an inclusion that is progressively permeating the culture of companies. In a country facing demographic and social cohesion challenges, promoting inclusive workplaces is an ethical commitment, but at the same time a lever for competitiveness and innovation'.