More quality and more Made in Italy. The timing may vary, but both in and out of the home the resumption of daily life is being based on the key considerations of sustainability and innovation. “The lockdown did serious economic damage to our companies,” says Antonio Bertoli, President of Fiac/Anima Confindustria, as he examines where we now are. “When things restarted there were two different reactions: at-home eating reacted quickly and was quick to get going, while the hotel sector was left by the roadside. The hospitality sector is still in severe distress and companies that operate in the Ho.Re.Ca sector are suffering.”

What has changed in recent months, for consumers and for companies?

“During the lockdown, consumption of our products, with the exception of online sales, were reduced to zero for the reasons we all know, but when Italians were confined to their homes they started to appreciate the pleasures of cooking even quite elaborate dishes, which they of course then also ate at home. When things opened up again this new-found pleasure turned into a desire to own better, more high-performance kitchen equipment, so purchases generally increased, particularly in the more specialised stores.”

What major trends are emerging?

“At a business level this has been a period of great innovation, because it became necessary to rethink designs and products in the light of the new need for social distancing in order to prevent the spread of the virus. More specifically, we have been noticing that there is a greater appreciation of high-quality products that give better results and are more durable. Alongside this we are seeing an increased demand for products made in Italy.”

What sort of innovation are companies focusing on?

“In this delicate situation, professionals have been concentrating their efforts on products that allow establishments to re-open safely, so they’ve turned mainly to firms that have developed products which fulfil this purpose. Producers, for their part, have been developing ideas and services that meet the new needs, and have managed to turn this period into an opportunity to be seized, and facing the future with the right spirit and the right attitude. To give just one example, a service trolley that generates UV-C rays has been launched: it will sanitise the cutlery and crockery it contains in a matter of minutes.”

And what role does environmental sustainability play in all of this?

“The environment is now a priority for all companies in our sector, both in manufacturing and in the design of products and packaging. This is a trend which, while not experiencing any particular acceleration since the lockdown was eased, continues to be seen just about everywhere.”