Inside our Trend Observatory
This year we published our first trend topic observatory. What is it about?
Our consumption choices come from the meeting of personal tastes, habits, cultural context and generational dynamics. Trends are added to these: phenomena that, although often short-lived, reflect the changes taking place in society and are amplified by the media precisely because they intercept widespread needs and values. From this first analysis one common thread emerges: the growing attention towards the self. A transformation that runs across different areas, starting with food. Let’s look at a few of them.
Food that becomes function
Today our relationship with food goes beyond the pleasure of taste and becomes increasingly functional to wellbeing. Demand is therefore growing for “free from” and “rich in” products, with less sugar and targeted ingredients such as proteins, evidence of greater awareness and of a diet increasingly oriented towards health. In parallel, social media are filling up with content promoting tailor-made nutrition, from lactose-free recipes to picking the best products with no added sugar.
What’s more, health and prevention are the main reasons driving 47% of Italians to cut down on meat. Interest is therefore growing in a flexitarian diet, which limits animal proteins without eliminating them altogether. In parallel, the share of those who say they follow a vegan diet is falling, perceived by many as too restrictive a regime.
Sport that generates social connection
A functional diet goes hand in hand, more and more, with an active lifestyle oriented towards wellbeing. Hyrox is one example: a fitness competition growing fast in Italy too, with events regularly sold out. In 2025 online searches rose by 233%, and numbers went from the 600 participants of 2018 to over 1 million athletes expected in 2026. More than a sport, it is a new model of sociality and lifestyle, built on wellbeing, performance and communities that train and compete together.
A similar logic connects running clubs, up 59% in Italy in 2025. They are no longer just groups that run together, but a social format between sport, community and urban lifestyle. The main reason for joining is social connection, not results: 48% name it as their primary motive, and for many women the group also offers safety. A spontaneous economic ecosystem grows around this, where brands, shops, cafés and venues become meeting hubs.
Fun that becomes alcohol free
The way we spend our free time is changing too. “Sober curiosity” is growing, the interest in low- and no-alcohol drinks, particularly among younger generations: “Dry January” in fact records a systematic drop in alcohol purchases, -25% in January compared with December in the Italian market.
Soft clubbing fits into this context: dancing by day, without alcohol, in unconventional spaces, with specialty coffee and mocktails instead of shots. More than giving up nightlife, it represents an evolution of it, driven by a generation that drinks less and looks for a more conscious kind of fun. Initiatives such as morning clubs are redefining the very concept of clubbing, opening up new activation and positioning opportunities for brands and businesses too.
Those we have looked at are only some of the phenomena influencing the choices of Italians. More than simple trends, they represent structural changes that are redefining our relationship with food, body and sociality. Intercepting them is essential to understand consumers’ new needs, values and behaviours.