After a strongly negative 2023 (-6.3% in value), 2024 was a year of stabilization for the Italian Tech&Durables market. In fact, only Home Comfort and Small Domestic Appliances recorded significant growth. According to GfK data, overall sales saw a stable trend: -0.6% in value and 0% in units, for a turnover of 16.2 billion euro.
During 2024, sales in the Tech&Durables sector increased by +1% in the online channel, while declining slightly by -1.1% in traditional stores. At the end of the year, online sales accounted for 26.8% of the Tech market, a figure essentially stable compared to 2023. Despite the slight growth, the weight of online in Italy remains among the lowest in Europe.
The dynamics of the different sectors
Behind the stable market trend are very different dynamics affecting the main sectors of the technical consumer goods market. The sector with the highest growth compared to 2023 is Home Comfort, which shows an increase of +8.4% in value. Small Domestic Appliances also show positive signs, growing by +6.5% year-on-year and rebounding sharply from the -1.2% decline recorded in 2023. As for Major Domestic Appliances, they ended 2024 on a positive note but with a smaller increase in sales (+1.1%).
On the other hand, Telecom records a -1% decline, however it is the most important sector by turnover. Negative trend also for IT&Office (-4%) and Consumer Electronics (-4.5%). While remaining in the negative area, the year-end figure for both sectors is better than that recorded in 2023, when they had seen a contraction of -8.6% and -28.5% in value, respectively. The most negative sector is Photo, which closes 2024 with a -8.6% decrease in sales.
Top-selling products
Among the products that grew the most during 2024 are air fryers (+29.7% in value), hair styling appliances (+19.3%), food preparation devices (+16%), electric toothbrushes (+15.5%) and dryers (+13%). This confirms the demand from Italian consumers for products that can simplify everyday life, but also the interest in solutions for healthier and faster cooking.
Stable prospects for the Tech&Durables sector in 2025
According to forecasts in the report “Global Tech & Durables Outlook 2025” realized by NIQ&GfK in collaboration with the Consumer Technology Association, after a few difficult years, the T&D sector should grow by +0.9% globally in 2025. These forecasts reflect a stabilization of consumer behavior, aided by slowing inflation, in a still fragile confidence environment.
In particular, the Major and Small Domestic Appliances sectors are expected to stabilize, with growth driven by demand for products that support consumers in daily activities, such as dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and dental hygiene devices. The IT&Office sector is also expected to return to growth, thanks to the introduction of new AI-related features that should boost demand.
