Consumption

Here’s what immigrant families buy at the supermarket (spending more than the average)

Although consumers are opting for cost-saving choices (discount stores and own-brand products), according to a YouGov analysis, spending is 2 per cent higher than the national average, mainly due to larger households with more young people. Purchases that exceed the norm include drinks (energy drinks, spirits and beer), baby food and pet food.

by Manuela Soressi

30 September 2026

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4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Different habits, but not too different
Value-for-money
When the brand makes the difference
From barbecues to Italian cuisine
Naturalness and health rather than sustainability

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

They buy more drinks (particularly energy drinks, spirits and beer), baby food, sausages and pet products than the national average. They prefer own-brand products to major brands, except when it comes to food for their children. They mainly shop at discount stores, local markets, ethnic shops and pet shops. They go shopping less frequently, and mainly on Sundays, but they fill their trolleys more, even if with less expensive products. These are the 1.8 million foreign households residing in Italia, who account for 9.2 per cent of the national population. Their shopping behaviour is illustrated by a survey conducted by YouGov involving 18,000 households.

There are 5.4 million foreign nationals integrated into Italian society; 45 per cent come from European countries (mainly Romania and Albania), over 23 per cent each from Asia and Africa, and 8 per cent from the Americas. Eighty per cent of them are concentrated in the centre and north of the country and work mainly as manual labourers, though there is also a significant number of small business owners and traders.

Different habits, but not too different

Their families are larger and younger than the national average, and this is reflected in household expenditure, which amounts to around 4,600 euros a year – that is, 2 per cent more than the Italian average. Foreigners visit shops less frequently (200 times a year), spend an average of 23 euros and put 11 per cent more items in their trolleys than the average. Fresh produce sold by weight accounts for 25 per cent of spending (compared with around 28 per cent nationally), groceries are in line with the average (24 per cent), whilst pet care (+15 per cent), drinks (+14 per cent) and pre-weighed fruit and vegetables (+13 per cent) are well above average.

Value-for-money

“The main factor driving spending is value for money, which is reflected in the choice of shops, the selection of lower-cost products and a preference for items on special offer, which account for almost 30 per cent of spending,” explains Paola Bonassoli, Multinational Clients Cluster Lead at YouGov Shopper. To find the best value for money, 75 per cent keep an eye out for special offers and 69 per cent compare prices before deciding what to buy. Furthermore, spending is spread across multiple retail outlets (9.5 chains per year), with a preference for discount stores and chemists (visited by 23 per cent and 12 per cent more shoppers respectively than the national average) and frequent use of local markets and ethnic shops.

When the brand makes the difference

Foreign households show a clear preference for private label (+4 per cent market share compared to the average), particularly in discount stores (+20 per cent), whilst they are less enthusiastic about big brands, which are chosen less frequently than the Italian average (-2 per cent) and which only 21 per cent trust more than lesser-known brands. However, there are some exceptions.

The area where brands make a difference is in the world of products for children and teenagers. Although families are generally reluctant to buy branded products, their attitude changes completely when it comes to buying food for their children, as they feel the need to ensure they have the same products as their peers. Such as those from Kinder, found in 72.3 out of every 100 foreign households (i.e. five percentage points higher than the average) or Kellogg’s (+20%). The

Higher consumption of soft drinks explains the widespread popularity of San Benedetto and Coca-Cola, with market penetration 10 per cent and 2 per cent higher than the average respectively. Meanwhile, the persistence of habits acquired in their countries of origin explains the performance of certain brands, such as Pepsi.

From barbecues to Italian cuisine

The preference for spending free time with family and friends – particularly by celebrating outdoors and having barbecues – leads to above-average purchases of sausages, vegetable-based sauces and spreads, and crisps. This is driving the growth of brands such as Calvè, Wudy and Aia, which are found in 65.2 per cent of foreign households – 8 percentage points above the average.

Whilst on festive occasions foreigners prefer traditional foods from their own countries, in everyday life they tend to adopt certain aspects of Italian cuisine, for example by buying pasta and sauces (a brand such as Barilla has a market penetration rate in line with the national average ), whilst retaining certain habits from their countries of origin, as evidenced by their above-average purchases of ethnic specialities, exotic fruit, garlic and onions.

Naturalness and health rather than sustainability

When choosing everyday products, foreign shoppers show little interest in sustainability, but a marked preference for products that are ‘natural’, leading them to favour products that are GMO-free, additive-free or sweetener-free, all of which feature more prominently than in the standard Italian shopping basket.

However, what emerges most clearly from the YouGov survey is a focus on health, which leads people to favour, above all, high-protein foods, which are chosen 47 per cent more often than the average. But also fibre-rich products, those with no or reduced sugar content, or lactose-free options. These choices are linked to the high prevalence of certain conditions, such as diabetes (58 per cent higher than the national average), food allergies (17 per cent) and lactose intolerance (9 per cent).

“The causes can be traced back to the ‘nutritional transition’, that is, the shift to a diet that is richer than that of the country of origin,” explains Bonassoli – “Lifestyles, such as reduced physical activity, and certain socio-economic factors, such as housing conditions or disadvantaged jobs, also play a part.”

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