Italian households continue to accelerate their purchases of berries: according to YouGov – Italian Berry data, in 2025 spending on blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and redcurrants increased by 35%, exceeding €320 million, while volumes rose by 41%. By year-end, total sales for the category surpassed 24,000 tonnes, equivalent to more than 460 tonnes per week.
This growth is also reflected in the category’s ranking within the fruit department. In 2025, berries overtook pears and melons, reaching 9th place in household spending, just behind kiwifruit and grapes.
Rising demand is further confirmed by the trend in penetration, i.e., the share of households purchasing the category at least once a year: over twelve months it increased from 34.5% to 39.7%, up 5.2 percentage points. In the fruit department, a larger increase was recorded only by avocados, whose penetration rose from 30.9% to 37.4% (+6.4 percentage points).
Berries also stand out for their channel mix. According to the YouGov panel, Italian households purchase the category selectively, favoring supermarkets and discounters, which account for 83.9% of volumes. This is significantly higher than for fruit overall, where the same channels capture 68.0% of purchases.
Consumption intensity analysis also highlights strong polarization. 50% of households, classified as “Light” buyers, purchase berries on average 2.6 times per year, spending €2.94 per shopping occasion. At the other end, a 20% group of “Heavy” buyers generates almost two-thirds of total category volume (64.3%): these households purchase berries with high regularity—around 23 times per year—with annual spending exceeding €96.
From a geographic perspective, in 2025 the central, southern and island regions recorded the highest increases in penetration, rapidly moving closer to the national average and improving their position in the ranking of purchases per household.
Data for YE 12/2025 therefore confirm an exceptionally positive picture: consumption, frequency and penetration all indicate that berries are continuing their climb in Italian households’ preferences and in their fruit spending.
