A life of one, how marketing rides the new single economy

There are no longer the families of the past. And perhaps not even the endless tribes of friends. What is happening in consumption - fuelled by a much more individualistic marketing - is the multiplication of single products, experiences assingle rider and therefore as lone traveller, reduced purchasing dynamics. It was the Economist that recently discussed this, with a cover story that debunked the concept of friendflation: going out, travelling, celebrating and being together costs more and more. Models are emerging that emphasise solo logics in what is framed as a single economy: less quantity, more quality, greater individual well-being. "In a context in which people marry less, friendships become the real social infrastructure, but also a new item of expenditure," writes the weekly. So the trolley shrinks, life is parcelled out and marketing redesigns itself around these variables: it stops selling families and starts selling moments. At the family level in Italy there are now 37.9 out of 100 one-person households.

The small can, the solo trip, the tailor-made experience. Welcome to the 'life of one' that has become structured. The global NielsenIQ report (Mid-Year Consumer Outlook - Guide to 2025) indicates that when costs rise, customers prefer brands and retailers to act on price per portion and smaller packs, rather than lowering quality. And this has an impact on the economy and the market. "Consumption is fragmenting: more small purchases, more frequent, without sacrificing quality. The quest for control accelerates rotation, format innovation and attention to sustainability and waste. For brands and retailers this means more agile models and more targeted assortments, in line with an increasingly selective demand," says Enzo Frasio, Managing Director of NielsenIQ.

Spending is becoming more individual, partly due to stronger demographic trends. The average change in items per receipt is -7.1%, while purchase frequency increases by +8.2%, again according to NielsenIQ. "Our analysis also shows a growing importance of products linked to self reward, self-care and personalised user experiences: these are clear signs of increasingly individual and experience-oriented consumption. The performance of the Italian large-scale retail sector in 2025 is still positive, with sales up +2.4% and volumes up +0.9%," says Frasio.

The mini is not just economics. In recent years it has also become a gentle nudge to conscious consumption, a currency to train the behavioural side with measure, self-control and reduction of excesses. On the other hand, it was only ten years ago that the research 'Pack size effect' showed how science linked the size of packaging to quantity consumed. The study with over 13,000 participants had toured the world highlighting how larger sizes could lead to larger portions being estimated and served and thus increase consumption. Other times indeed.

There is a shift from the grammar of quantity to that of measure: single-portion, mini-pack, lower entry price, consumption by occasion. The product no longer has to last a week but adhere to a moment. An emblematic case comes from the United States: as of this month Coca-Cola has brought its mini cans, i.e. cans smaller than the classic ones, into the single-pack area and no longer multi-pack precisely in order to be sold separately and thus intercept different moments and lower consumption. Reuters also reports a perfect positioning figure for this format era: the mini-can has a suggested price of $1.29. It is not just a small can but a scale of access to the product. We can say that we are facing a new form of choice architecture.