Bauli Group: For the company’s centenary, research dedicated to the concept of goodness and the evolution of its meaning over time

Product quality ranks first among the purchasing drivers

Sustainability unites Generation Z and Baby Boomers

Verona, Oct. 27, 2022 – Italians do not give up the quality of the products they choose, although environmental aspects and the link with tradition increasingly affect purchasing decisions. This is what emerges from research conducted by Nextplora for the Bauli Group on the occasion of the centenary since the company’s founding. The study analyses the evolution of the concept of goodness over the years, the aspects that most influence purchases with a special focus on sustainability, along with the must-haves for Christmas, while also providing insight into generational differences in terms of perception.

“Goodness has always been the goal we set ourselves, and passion is the engine that allows us to make products capable of creating unique moments of joy, taste and sharing,” comments Michele Bauli, President of the Bauli Group. “Over the past decades, we have noted how this concept is expanding more and more, going on to be enriched with different, new, sometimes even unprecedented meanings. And so it is that goodness means taste and gratification, but also quality, attention to others, to the environment, ability to transmit history and love for tradition. In the year of our centenary, we wanted to study how the concept of goodness, so universally cherished by all generations, is changing and will change in the next 100 years.”

Goodness means kindness: a constant for all ages

The value of kindness never goes out of style: investigating the actions most related to “feeling good,” keeping a kind behavior towards others is the first choice among respondents.

Immediately after that, however, the priority becomes the environment: conscious choices for the planet and recycling come second and third, respectively, in the ranking of “good” acts.

In this context, there is a slight shifting trend among the very young: while baby boomers, Generation X and millennials agree in referring to kindness as the first factor in goodness, for Generation Z being good means more than anything else making conscious choices for the planet (51%).

Naturalness, authenticity, ingredients: product quality remains a primary purchasing driver

The survey shows how product quality – with aspects such as origin of ingredients, naturalness, absence of preservatives/additives/colorants, genuineness and delicacy – always remains, unequivocally, the first factor capable of conditioning purchasing decisions: this is the case for 92% of respondents’ choices.

Sustainability is coming next on the scale of purchasing drivers (84%) – with aspects such as recyclable packaging, commitment to environmental or social issues, and short supply chain – and, finally, we have historicity (79%), meaning Italian-ness and respect for tradition.

Drawing a generational cross-section, Generation Z and baby boomers report different priorities: for the former, product quality comes in at 82%, while for almost all of the latter is up to 96%. Regarding sustainability, on the other hand, the two generations come closer: 91% for Generation Z and 89% for baby boomers.

While sustainability is a particularly relevant factor for the younger generation, historicity is a significant factor primarily for the over-40s, with 85% and 84% of responses indicated by Generation X and baby boomers, respectively.

Goodness means quality, origin of ingredients, and recyclable packaging. Attention to packaging brings baby boomers and Generation Z together.

Compared to the past, some elements have become more relevant in defining a good product. In this sense, 61% of respondents indicated the quality of ingredients, along with naturalness and absence of preservatives/additives/colorants. These are followed in second position by the origin of the ingredients, with 56% of the preferences, and right after we have recyclable/environmentally sustainable packaging, with 54%.

Recyclable packaging seems to be an aspect capable of bringing – once again – the generations closer together: Generation Z (for 54%) and baby boomers (for 60%) are particularly sensitive to this aspect and indicate packaging sustainability among the elements that have become more important than in the past. Brand Italianness, on the other hand, is a theme dear to older generations, and is indicated as more important than in the past by 53% of both baby boomers’ and Generation X’s choices,

No doubt about it: without panettone and pandoro, it’s not Christmas! And the notes of “A Natale Puoi” are the soundtrack for just about everyone!

Nextplora research for Bauli also analysed habits and perceptions of the holiday par excellence, Christmas. A magical and special time that, despite the passage of years and the changes in society, remains unchanged in hearts.

Panettone and pandoro are ever-present on the table: they create the authentic Christmas atmosphere for 62% of Italians (even more than the Christmas tree, which “makes Christmas” for 59%).

And during the Holidays, no one can mistake the notes that resonate in the homes of Italians: “A Natale puoi”, the song that has been playing in the background of Bauli commercials for years, is the quintessential Christmas song according to 45% of respondents.

Great classics never fade away! From Baby Boomers to Gen Z: different generations, unchanging passions

It doesn’t matter whether one belongs to the “older” baby boomers or the “super young” Gen Z: there are some things that really unite everyone! The ritual of breakfast, for example, is an evergreen: as many as 90% of Italians say they habitually have it and for 68% it is even a must. Starting the morning with a hint of sweetness is a habit, and traditional products are the most chosen: cookies (53%) and croissants and snacks (43%) are unmissable on the Italian breakfast table.

Even at Christmas, there are truly timeless “classics”: after lunches and dinners with family and friends, for example, eating pandoro or panettone is a must for 58% of Italians.

Unexpectedly, traditional Christmas sweets even surpass gift exchange (52%) in the “never again without” of the holiday season and are a must-have especially for baby boomers (even 69%) and Generation X members (60%).

Christmas sweets remain staples on Italians’ menus: only 1% of respondents said they gave up panettone and pandoro at the table!

There is a clear answer, finally, to the eternal “panettone or pandoro” dilemma! 63% of Italians proudly declare themselves Team Pandoro, especially the younger ones (76% of Gen Z members and 78% of Millennials), while panettone meets the tastes especially of Baby Boomers (54% compared to the national average of 37%).