CR
Country Report: Italy
SAFETY IS THE WATCHWORD FOR THE POST-PANDEMIC, ENDEMIC ERA Italy, the European tissue hub, has seen unprecedented growth figures for a developed market. Core trends of sustainability and digitalisation allied to the strength of local production and supply will shape future competition.
Italian tissue – from pandemic to endemic Italy remains the centre of the European
As with all other markets, the story for
tissue industry from a consumption,
2021 and into 2022 and beyond is one of
production, and also from a manufacturing
the pandemic, consumer lifestyle changes
technology standpoint. In 2021, overall
and the journey to endemic coexistence
tissue, both retail and AfH, expenditure at
with the virus. Predictably in 2020, the
manufacturer sales price (MSP) totalled
Italian market experienced a significant
just over USD1.66bn, ranked third in the
uplift due to Covid-19, a period of enforced
EU block only behind German and France.
home seclusion and a trend towards
On average, Italian consumers spent $28
stockpiling. These core trends resulted in
per capita on tissue products; this figure
retail tissue volumes climbing by 3%, with
was almost equivalent to Poland but a
toilet paper especially buoyant and growing
good $4 lower than other comparable
by just shy of 4%. Although Italy was far
Mediterranean markets.
from unique in this respect, for a developed
Although undeniably developed, there
market to grow by these numbers is
is space for the market to grow and tap
unprecedented and is testament to the
into prevailing trends which are currently
strength of local production and supply that
pervading Italian society. Nevertheless, as
the industry was able to satisfy in terms of a
with other FMCG, the tissue industry will
sudden spike in demand.
face challenges in the medium term as its products will have to justify the portion of expenditure in what are likely to be difficult
2021 bounce The narrative of 2021 was still undeniably linked to the pandemic but
times for consumers.
PREDICTABLY IN 2020, THE ITALIAN MARKET EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT UPLIFT DUE TO COVID-19, A PERIOD OF ENFORCED HOME SECLUSION AND A TREND TOWARDS STOCKPILING. THESE CORE TRENDS RESULTED IN RETAIL TISSUE VOLUMES CLIMBING BY 3%, WITH TOILET PAPER ESPECIALLY BUOYANT AND GROWING BY JUST SHY OF 4%. 1
Italy Retail/AFH Tissue Volume Trends 2007-2026 900
Volume sales ‘000 tonnes
Ian Bell Head of Tissue and Hygiene, Euromonitor International
The impact of Covid-19
675 450 225 0 -225
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Retail Tissue
Away-from-Home Tissue
Retail Tissue Growth
Away-from-Home Tissue Growth
© Euromonitor International
Source: Euromonitor International Tissue World Magazine | January/February 2022
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