High prices reduce the amount of food purchased by Italians by 4.6% in 2023, but they are forced to spend 7% more due to price increases caused by inflation. This is what Istat data on retail trade in the first seven months of 2023 reveal when compared to the same period the previous year. The difficult situation is highlighted by the fact that low-cost food purchases are on the rise, with food discounters reporting a +9.7% increase in sales in value from January to July, the highest among retail shelves. The outcome of the discounters highlights the difficulty faced by Italian families who, as a result of price increases, direct their expenditures to low-cost channels while sacrificing quality.