What Authentic Italy does

Authentic Italy, operating as Italia Autentica, is a privately-held Belgian specialty retailer founded in 2008 in Drogenbos near Brussels, focused exclusively on authentic Italian food and household products. The main store spans approximately 500 m² and carries nearly 4,000 curated Italian product references spanning fresh charcuterie and cheeses sliced to order, fresh and dry pasta, wines from multiple Italian regions, household and personal care items, baby care (PLASMON), and exclusive own-brand or import lines including the premium 'Il Viaggiator Goloso' range and Crispino Calabrian sauces. The company has expanded to five physical locations across Belgium under both the Italia Autentica and Mercatino banners, covering Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia.

The business model is direct-to-consumer physical retail with no e-commerce channel. Revenue is generated entirely through in-store point-of-sale transactions across the assortment, supplemented by service adjacencies including custom aperitif platters for events (weddings, birthdays, baptisms) and personalized gift baskets for holidays and corporate gifting. The retailer differentiates on authenticity — products are sourced and selected by native Italians who travel to Italy to discover artisanal producers — and on operational convenience, with the main store open seven days a week including Sundays, when most Belgian supermarkets are closed. Pricing is described as 'correct' rather than discount, reflecting a quality-positioning rather than hypermarket value proposition.

Customer segments are entirely consumer-facing and horizontally segmented: Italian food enthusiasts seeking hard-to-find authentic ingredients, families and event organizers purchasing catering platters, and gift buyers seeking differentiated present options. Marketing relies on Facebook, recipe-focused blog content, the annual autumn wine fair with over 100 wines, and an immersive in-store atmosphere. The company has no disclosed funding, no parent company, no online ordering capability, and no proprietary technology stack, making it a traditional specialty retail operator whose growth is tied directly to physical store expansion.

Name

Authentic Italy

Legal name

Italia Autentica

Website

https://italiaautentica.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Authentic Italy (Italia Autentica) is a Belgian specialty retailer operating five physical stores across Belgium, offering roughly 4,000 curated Italian food and household product SKUs, exclusive own-brand lines, custom catering platters, and gift baskets for Belgian consumers and event organizers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Italian Grocery Retail

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Mediterranean/Greek/Italian/Spanish Grocery Stores (CRAHAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Delis & Sandwich Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAF), Olive Oil, Vinegar & Condiment Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAJ), Imported & Regional Specialty Food Stores (CRAHAGAL)

Keywords

• Italian specialty retail
• Italian grocery store
• Artisanal food imports
• Fresh deli counter
• Italian wines and cheese

Headquarters

HQ city

Drogenbos

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail product sales: Direct in-store sales of Italian food products, beverages, household items, and personal care products. Revenue generated through point-of-sale transactions across approximately 4,000 product SKUs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Authentic Italy (Italia Autentica) is a Belgian specialty retail chain operating physical Italian supermarkets that sell approximately 4,000 curated Italian food, beverage, household, and personal care product references sourced directly from artisans across Italy's regions. The stores feature fresh deli counters with sliced-to-order charcuterie and cheeses, an exclusive in-house premium brand (Il Viaggiator Goloso), and value-added services including custom aperitif platters for events and personalized gift baskets.

Product overview

Italia Autentica is an Italian supermarket/retail store offering approximately 4,000 Italian product references across nearly 500 m² of retail space in Drogenbos, Belgium. The store operates as a single unified retail concept with core offerings including: charcuterie and cheeses (sliced to order), fresh prepared dishes, pasta and pinsa, wines and beverages, household products, hygiene products, and baby care items. The company has created its own exclusive brand 'Il Viaggiator Goloso' for premium products and imports exclusive products like Crispino sauces from Calabria. Services include custom aperitif platters and personalized gift baskets for events and gifting occasions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Il Viaggiator Goloso: Exclusive premium brand offering high-quality Italian products, created in partnership with Italia Autentica. The brand focuses on travel and excellence, with producers carefully selected to guarantee the best quality at the right price.

Products and services

• Il Viaggiator Goloso Exclusive in-house premium Italian food brand developed by Authentic Italy, featuring curated products sourced from Italian producers across all regions, positioned as the store's signature premium offering. Aimed at Italian food enthusiasts seeking quality authentic products at the right price.
• Aperitif Platters (Plateaux apéritifs) Custom-composed Italian appetizer platters featuring charcuterie, cheeses, and antipasti for events including weddings, birthdays, baptisms, and family gatherings. Available for advance order with customization by request.

Quantifiable outcome

• Open 7 days a week including Sundays

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Il Viaggiator GolosocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive premium brand partnership where Italia Autentica serves as the exclusive or primary distributor for the Il Viaggiator Goloso premium Italian food range in Belgium. This partnership is central to the company's brand identity, representing an 'invitation to travel' and excellence.
• CrispinominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive importer of Crispino sauce brand bringing authentic Calabrian flavors to Belgium. The sauces are prepared according to artisanal traditions using locally sourced ingredients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Picard Surgelés: French specialty frozen-food retailer with premium positioning and curated assortment of prepared dishes including Italian categories. Comparable on the specialty-curated retail format and premium positioning, though anchored in frozen rather than Italian specialty.
• Carrefour Belgium: Major Belgian hypermarket/grocery chain with dedicated 'world foods' and Italian ranges. Serves overlapping shoppers in the same geography and competes on selection breadth, scale pricing, and expanding international assortments.
• Eataly: Global Italian specialty food retail and restaurant concept. Highly comparable on product theme (authentic Italian regional assortment, premium own-brands, prepared foods) and curated experience, but operates at a much larger, experiential scale with in-store dining.
• Bio-Planet (Colruyt Group): Belgian organic and specialty food retailer backed by Colruyt, offering curated ranges including international and Italian items. Comparable on specialty grocery positioning within Belgium but significantly broader assortment and corporate-scale footprint.

Direct peers

• Délitraiteur: Belgian neighborhood fresh-and-specialty food retailer with butcher/deli service counters. Most directly comparable to Italia Autentica on format (specialty food storefront, deli counter), geography (Belgium), and customer (urban specialty shoppers), differing only in product theme (pan-European vs. Italian).

Regional players

• La Vie Claire: French organic and specialty food retail chain with neighborhood storefronts. Comparable on curated specialty-grocery retail model and premium positioning, but focused on French organic rather than Italian imports and primarily France-based.

Emerging players

• Färm Coop: Belgian cooperative neighborhood grocery focused on organic, local, and specialty products. Comparable as a Belgian specialty-retail format with curated assortment and community positioning, but with an organic/local rather than Italian theme.

Others

• Il Sole 24 Ore — Tavola (Italian specialty/gourmet e-tail reference): Adjacent Italian food media/gourmet ecosystem that illustrates broader demand for authentic Italian products in European markets — useful as a thematic peer for the import-and-distribute model Italia Autentica operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/italiaautenticalalouviere
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/italia-autentica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Authentic Italy