Quick Take — Is Eataly undergoing a permanent transformation?

Excerpts freely adapted from this article: …The branded product becomes dominant and ubiquitous because it changes the purpose of the shop. In effect, we move from a food retail business model (frequent purchases of various items and brands, with a low average spend) to one more akin to that of fashion houses (sporadic purchases of a single main brand and a few items, with a high average spend). Obviously, as we are still talking about food, Eataly’s average spend will never be comparable to that of luxury clothing, but the logic is the same…

…Over the last few years, Eataly’s strategy seems to have changed significantly. Firstly, its locations are concentrated in areas where customer footfall is high and where people generally pay less attention to prices. We’re talking about petrol stations and airports, for example. Secondly, the focus is shifting more towards catering because, by reducing retail space, the problem of tied-up capital is alleviated…

Dear Massimo [Schiraldi] , the problem of stock – with all that it entails – such as expiry dates, wastage, loss of freshness, etc. – is reduced in larger outlets, but it is far from being resolved in larger outlets!

Just look at thephotos taken in Milan on 8 September 2025. ‘Small – in terms of floor space – is beautiful’, as we have already said.

As had already been highlighted, Eataly, in Italy, had no reason to exist.

Drafted on 5 June and updated on 10 June 2026

Quick Take — Eataly, the Cipolloni cycle concluded

… Cipolloni was appointed CEO in 2022, corresponding with the entry of the Investindustrial fund led by Guido Bonomi into the shareholding structure with 52%.

During this period, Eataly ‘increased its total revenues from around €450 million to over €700 million in 2025, expanding its global presence and creating a solid pipeline through the opening of more than 20 new shops, bringing the total number to 69,’ the press release mentions.

But despite a EUR 75 million capital increase in 2025, net debt remains at around EUR 140 million. While the balance sheets continue to close at a loss…

Quick Take — Green Pea in Turin, after Fico another flop for Oscar Farinetti

Green Pea, the eco-dream in the Lingotto area of Turin opened in 2020 by Oscar Farinetti as a manifesto of an ethical capitalism inspired by the new environmentalist movements, 15 thousand square metres with a swimming pool on the roof, no longer has a shop open and is being converted for use as offices and events. After Fico Eataly World, which in six years had accumulated about 28 million in losses, another experiment decidedly gone wrong for Oscar Farinetti: Green Pea’ s balance sheet was immediately in the red, without ever reaching profitability, a script already seen. Even Eataly, a global brand with prices that were anything but cheap, had lost around EUR 100 million between 2020 and 2022, so much so that new capital had to be brought in and the majority stake sold to Bonomi’s Ivestindustrial….

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