This study examines how “Made in Italy” food products (pasta, olive oil, cheese, and tomato sauce) are marketed and perceived across two different retail contexts in Milan: local grocery stores and tourist-oriented stores. This builds on current studies of food souvenirs by focusing on how retail environments shape meaning beyond the food itself by considering how place and presentation shape authenticity and value. The findings reveal clear contrasts. In local grocery stores, food items were treated as everyday necessities with presentation focused on convenience. In tourist-oriented stores, products were framed as cultural symbols using distinctive packaging and storytelling with a focus on authenticity. Identical foods were priced higher and presented differently in tourist-oriented stores. Customers focused on efficiency when selecting items in a grocery store, while consumers in tourist-oriented stores took time to read labels and displays. Although PDO and PGI certifications appeared in both contexts, their meaning shifted depending on presentation and setting. This suggests that food souvenirs are more than just edible items; they are part of a broader cultural experience shaped by how and where they are sold. These insights contribute to understanding how value and authenticity are cocreated by producers, retailers, and consumers within the retail space and through marketing. Authenticity and value are not only intrinsic to food products but are also cocreated through retail context, packaging, and consumer interaction.
Amini et al. (Thu,) studied this question.