Italian tomatoes consumption trend: families over 65 eat almost twice as many as young ones

Source: Monitor Ortofrutta Agroter

Tomatoes in Italy have a leading role in the fruit and vegetable consumption. Second only to potatoes in terms of volumes sold, tomatoes far surpass the average of vegetables in terms of euro-kilo.

Over the years, varietal innovation and production dynamics have given rise to countless performances and new references in tomatoes, with dedicated shop spaces that have become among the largest.

According to Italia Fruit News, from June 2023 to May 2024 there has been a considerable increase in the number of Italian families purchasing tomatoes compared to the previous two years, (+ 2.3%) which brought the percentage of Italian families who buy tomatoes up to 91%.

in the last 12 months the frequency of purchasing tomatoes also increases (+9%, over 18 purchases in a year), but it does so in a similar way to vegetables (+8%)

Source: Monitor Ortofrutta Agroter

Inflation has affected the size of the average purchase of tomatoes, with an increase in spending (+4%) compared to a decrease in quantities (-8%), although less clearly than for vegetables in general (-16%).

Italian families split their vegetable purchases more than in the last 2 years (greater frequency of purchase and smaller quantities per purchase), but this happens a little less for tomatoes.

Regardless of the evolution of the purchasing act, tomato sales are increasingly concentrated in supermarkets and discount stores (overall 66% of volumes, and growing) as is the case for vegetables in general, while the other channels are divided the remaining share, with a progressive reduction of the latter.

Source: Monitor Ortofrutta Agroter

According to GfK Consumer Panel, families who buy tomatoes head towards greengrocers and markets for more sporadic but larger purchases (probably for a greater perceived quality), while they turn to large-scale retail trade for more regular purchases.

Lastly, among the different age groups, young families have the lowest average annual quantity purchased, but with the greatest growth over the last 2 years (+4% under 34 years, +6% 35-44 years), while the older ones (over 65) have decreased by 2% the quantity of tomatoes purchased in the last 24 months, but are still the age group with the highest average purchase

Source: Monitor Ortofrutta Agroter / Italia Fruit News,

The market of tomatoes for fresh consumption in Italy is very diversified; supermarkets or specialized shops offer over 20 different types of tomatoes in terms of shape, size, colour, flavour, consistency, shelf life, combination with food, etc.

SAIS spa has a diversified range of tomatoes for fresh market, determinate and indeterminate, including both varieties of global interest as well as typically Mediterranean specialties

We suggest you Reginella, round fruits (50-60 g.) dark green with marked shoulders vivid ten when ripe Joyello, with oval fruit of bright red color, tolerant to cracking, excellent crunchiness and good long shelf life, and Marinella, a variety with flat ribbed fruit of dark green color with very nice coloring at turning stage and excellent shelf life post harvest.