The Baby Food Sector in Italy, 2019

The Baby Food Sector in Italy, 2019

Summary

"The Baby Food Sector in Italy, 2019", is an analytical report by GlobalData which provides extensive and highly detailed current and future market trends in the Italian market.

Italy has struggled to maintain the standard of living it achieved in the 1990s, and living standards in the South remain behind the rest of the country. Nonetheless it is the quality of food that influences their purchases, rather than price alone. The number of births has fallen dramatically causing the baby food sector to contract. Enforced price decreases in the milks category and lower prices in real terms in most other categories - resulting from heightened competition and manufacturers' efforts to stimulate sales - has put pressure on value sales. Nonetheless, per capita consumption is high, largely due to significant wet meals and finger foods categories. Consumption of milks remains low, due to high prices and increasing breastfeeding rates. Production has been hit by the economic situation, although exports have risen. Imports have been falling. Heinz and Danone dominate, with around 80% of sales in 2018. Nestlé is the only other significant competitor. Heinz continues to lead in meals, drinks, and finger foods, while Danone leads in milks and cereals. Grocery stores have benefited from their convenience and lower prices. However, first-stage and special formula perform well in pharmacies, and specialist outlets. Real growth in GDP has begun to slow and investor confidence has fallen since the election of a populist government in 2018. Combined with a forecast decline in the number of births, demand is expected to continue to fall.

What else does this report offer?

- Consumption data based upon a unique combination of industry research, fieldwork, market sizing work and our in-house expertise to offer extensive data about the trends and dynamics affecting the industry.
- Detailed profile of the companies operating and new companies considering entry in the industry along with their key focus product sectors.
- Market profile of the various product sectors with the key features & developments, segmentation, per capita trends and the various manufacturers & brands.
- Overview of baby food retailing with a mention of the major retailers in the country along with the distribution channel.
- Future projections considering various trends which are likely to affect the industry.

Scope

- In real terms, value sales have fallen by 13.3% since 2012. Per capita consumption is high at 38.5 kg, largely due to the unusually high volumes of wet meals and finger foods consumed.
- The highest standards of living remain in the North of Italy, although the center is now not far behind. Italians place great emphasis on the quality of food and it is this that influences their purchases, rather than price alone.
- Exports of baby food are considerably lower than imports, although they have risen over the last few years. In 2017, they stood at 30,415 tons, equivalent to a value of €69 million, and consisted primarily of baby meals.
- The market is dominated by the multinationals Heinz and Danone with a combined 78.6% of value sales and 82.1% of volume sales in 2018. The only other player of significance, Nestlé, is well behind the leaders, with just 7.6%.
- Grocery stores account for the majority of value sales, at 54% in 2018, a share that has been steadily rising since 2010, largely due to the convenience and lower prices often offered by the grocery category.
- Between 2018 and 2024 consumption is predicted to decline by 5.4%, to 50,759 tons, with value growth of 6.8%, raising retail sales to €662 million in 2024.

Reasons to buy

- Evaluate important changes in consumer behavior and identify profitable markets and areas for product innovation.
- Analyse current and forecast behavior trends in each category to identify the best opportunities to exploit.
- Detailed understanding of consumption by individual product categories in order to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market.
- Investigates which categories are performing the best and how this is changing market dynamics.