Consumer Trends 2022 – Consumer survey in 17 European countries

The FOCUS-Institut continuously conducts studies to monitor developments in the perspectives and attitudes of the population of European countries regarding consumption patterns and preferences. The most recent of these studies, which took place across 17 European countries, shows that inflation affects drastically purchase behaviors. The data in the attachment is an excerpt of the study and spotlights the category of meat and meat products.

The shopping behavior of the Romanian population has changed drastically concerning the category of meat and meat products. Almost 40% of the representative sample states consuming more products in promotions and/or private label goods of this category due to prices increases. More than one third of the respondents reduces the purchases of meat and meat products. And more concretely, just a third of the population maintains its usual purchasing behavior!

The same tendency can be observed in the 17 surveyed populations, whereas in some countries the proportion of consumers being ready to reduce purchases of meat and meat products exceeds 40%. Further findings of the present international study suggest that discounters are increasingly preferred.

As far as a prognosis regarding the duration of price increases is concerned, one sees a rather pessimistic attitude of the Italian population – the clear majority is of the opinion that price increases will continue beyond the next half of 2023 or even for the whole next year. Only a minority of 8,3% sees an end to price increases in the near future. In Italy, pessimism regarding the duration of inflation increases with a higher age; simultaneously pessimism concerning the present issue is more widespread amongst women.

In the European countries, the perception of the duration of inflation is very similar. At least one in every two consumers in each of the examined countries state that price increases will continue for at least the whole of next year. Reaching a 75%, this perception is most widespread in Portugal.

In the context of the present study, there was a particular focus on the usage of online shops in the food retail. In Italy, the proportion of those who shop often or have shopped several times in online supermarkets is relatively high (cumulative: 31%). There are differences within the key sociodemographic categories – consumers under 50 years of age and persons living in (more) urban landscapes are precisely those who most often choose ordering from an online supermarket.

In comparison to the other countries, in which the survey took place, the proportion of online supermarket shoppers in Italy is the sixth highest.

This survey took place in October and November 2022 in 17 European countries (the max. margin of error for each country is between +/- 3,1% and +/- 4,4%; for the exact sample size in each country see the report below).

Download: Study