Consumption outside the home is worth 102 billion. The spritz economy suffers

Change of pace for consumption outside the home, which in 2025 will reach a turnover of 102 billion with a slight increase (+1.5%) on the previous year. A minus sign for entries in public establishments, bars, restaurants, pizzerias, pubs and breweries, and nightclubs. In 2025 there was a drop of 1.1%, which becomes -1.6% if only Italian customers are considered. This is what is revealed by an analysis conducted by TradeLab, a specialised consultancy firm, presented by Bruna Boroni, industry director "consumption away from home" presented during "Away 2026 - Scenarios, new rituals and opportunities for the brand in consumption away from home" promoted by Centromarca. The world of out-of-home consumption is becoming increasingly polarised with fast food chains (+1.1%) and restaurants (+0.6%) showing slightly positive growth. Negative signals are coming from daytime (-2.7%) and evening bars (-2.9%), with more marked falls for take-away (-4.2%) and food delivery (-4.4%). In addition to the crisis in consumption, the 'different' habits of the new generations, which are reducing the number of entrances and spending times, are also weighing heavily. For example, GenX with -5.6% is the one experiencing the greatest difficulty, Millennials are at -1.3% and GenZ (-0.3%) contain the reduction in visits; on the contrary, Baby Boomers are confirmed as the engine of growth (+3.0%).

"We are experiencing a changing scenario. The escalation of the conflict in Iran is producing tangible effects on supply chains, making it more difficult for companies to plan their activities," said Francesco Mutti, President of Centromarca, to the audience of 200 managers from industry and retail. "Critical issues that are reflected on consumption, and in particular on tourism and the ho.re.ca. channel, which, more than others, react immediately to the evolution of the economic context: from consumption choices to the redefinition of spending priorities of Italian families. We hope for a quick resolution of the conflict, so as not to jeopardise the sector's growth estimates of EUR 106 billion for 2026. In a market as relevant as out of home, companies must be able to intercept the new needs of consumers. In this scenario, Centromarca proposes itself as the key interlocutor to foster strategic dialogue between industry and retail".

In 2025, the pace of consumption has been set by the declining purchasing power of Italians. According to TradeLab surveys, the classic breakfast at the bar with cappuccino and brioche is worth €6.3 billion with 4.2 billion consumptions (-1.2% compared to 2023), 2.2 billion visits and an average receipt of €2.9. Breakfast is experienced as an "accessible" social occasion, loved especially by the very young (+15% visits). More than half of the managers interviewed by Trade Lab (56%) expect an increase in the average receipt; 45% also consider an increase in attendance.

The lunchtime is a different story, with 1.5 billion visits, around 5.5 billion consumed and an average receipt of 18.1 euro. This all adds up to a turnover of 27.4 billion. This is where new, more economical trends such as buying ready meals in the large-scale retail trade (+3% by 2023) come to the fore. Bars and mid-range restaurants show a negative trend (-5.2% and -2.3% respectively), in contrast to chains (+6.3%).

The fashion, the ritual of the aperitif seems to belong to a distant past because the number of admissions dropped significantly to 506 million with 1.25 billion drinks for a total of 3.9 billion spent (-6.2% in value). The average receipt is 7.8 euro, rising to 8.8 euro in the North West and falling to 6.9 euro in the South and Islands. As far as trends in beverage consumption are concerned, the entire alcoholic world - beer (-6.5% on 2023), cocktails and spirits (-1.0%), wine and bubbles (-4.0%) - is experiencing the greatest difficulties.