When we choose where to shop, the price is certainly one of the first aspects we take into consideration. But he’s not the only one. There are those who are looking for fresh, quality products, those who appreciate a wide assortment and those who prefer well-organised supermarkets, where they can find everything they need without wasting too much time among the shelves. And when we feel good in a store, we often end up returning.
But which is the large-scale retail chain most appreciated by Italian consumers? The answer is the new edition of Best Sign 2027the survey carried out by Ipsos Doxa and promoted by Largo Consumo, which every year collects customer opinions on the main commercial brands present in Italy.
Esselunga won the title of Overall Winner in the Food sector, winning the most important recognition in the food sector, based on the evaluations expressed by the consumers involved in the research.
Esselunga is the Best Food Brand of 2027
The recognition comes as part of the seventh edition of Migliore Insegna, the research that analyzes purchasing experiences in physical and online stores to identify the chains most appreciated by customers.
Esselunga won the overall prize for the Food sector, standing out among the food distribution brands. A significant result for the Italian chain, which thus obtains one of the main awards assigned by the survey.
Be careful, however, not to confuse this award with a ranking of the most convenient supermarkets. The recognition does not mean that Esselunga has the lowest prices in Italy, but that it has obtained the absolute title in the food sector based on an overall evaluation of the consumer experience.
How was the best supermarket of 2027 chosen?
The winners were not decided by a jury of experts, but by the judgment of consumers who recounted their purchasing experiences.
For the 2027 edition, Ipsos Doxa interviewed 8,000 people between 18 and 74 years old, collecting over 30,000 evaluations relating to 111 national brands, divided into 27 product categories.
In detail, 5,000 interviews concerned purchases in physical stores, while another 3,000 focused on online experiences. The participants were selected taking into account age, gender and geographical area, in order to represent the Italian reference population.
The research examined over 100 aspects of the shopping experience, from the quality and variety of products to the organization of the points of sale, including the professionalism of the staff, customer assistance and the services available.
As regards supermarkets, the survey also paid particular attention to the departments of very fresh products, such as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, and to foods free fromdesigned for those with specific dietary needs.
Because price isn’t the only thing that matters when we go shopping
Choosing a supermarket means finding the right balance between convenience, quality and practicality. An advantageous offer can convince us to enter a store, but what pushes us to return also depends on how we felt while shopping.
This is precisely one of the aspects on which the Best Brand 2027 research focuses, which takes into consideration the entire customer journey, from the choice of the point of sale to the moment of payment at the checkout.
The availability of products, the ease of finding your way around the shelves, the organization of the departments and the quality of the service can influence the overall opinion of a chain.
The award awarded to Esselunga should therefore be interpreted as a recognition of the overall purchasing experience, and not as a certification of the economic convenience or quality of each individual product sold.
The other awarded brands: Lidl wins among the discounters
Esselunga was not the only chain to stand out in the 2027 edition. Among the most interesting awards for those who shop every day is the one awarded to Lidl, which won the award in the Discount category.
For the pet products sector, however, the award went to Conad PetStore, while Happy Casa Store won the Discount Non Food category.
Among the other winners we find Decathlon for sportswear and free time, Giunti al Punto for bookshops, Bata for footwear and Roadhouse Restaurant for the catering served. The title of Overall Winner in the Non Food sector was awarded to VisionOttica.
The research results offer an interesting insight into the preferences of Italian consumers and what really matters when choosing where to buy.
For those who want to save on groceries, however, the same rule always applies: compare prices per kilo or per litre, check the offers and read the labels carefully. Because the supermarket most appreciated by consumers is not necessarily the one where you spend the least, and the best choice also depends on your habits and needs.
