Tutto Food trade fair is gearing up to open its doors to operators on the 19th of May, showcasing the offerings of over 2,000 Italian and foreign companies, which will be organized into seven different exhibition sectors: Meat and Cured Meats, Dairy-Cheese, Frozen Foods, Ho.Re.Ca., Confectionery, Organic, Mixed Products.
The trade fair, organized by Fiera Milano, presents visitors with important, exciting innovations in food and beverages unveiled by major companies and small labels alike. Early previews bear out companies’ growing attention to the concept of “healthy” products, with a large increase in “organic” products, not to mention Gluten Free, products with no additives or added fat, and a strong tendency to repropose the shapes and flavours “of yesteryear”, placing the emphasis on the quality of ingredients and their preparation. Company proposals coupled with consumer trends paint a picture of a new breed of consumer: less standardized and more critical, more careful when it comes to spending money, but still willing to pay a premium for better quality.
New trends: value for money changes habits
The food sector reports a 0.3% fall in sales volume: this is the trend in the packaged food sector to emerge from a recent study conducted by SymphonyIRI for TUTTO FOOD, the agri-food exhibition taking place at Fieramilano from 19th to 22nd ofMay 2013. Indeed, from data produced by the studio, it transpires that in 2012 packaged food on average suffered a decline in terms of sales volume, compared to 2011. Sales value, meanwhile, held its own in the sector, largely due to the effect of inflation. At times like this, with the impact of the consumer crisis hitting hard, what might seem like subtle changes are actually important signs that reveal how increasingly careful and selective Italians are, about the food they buy, tending more and more to save money, by shopping predominantly at large supermarket chains and buying products on special offer: in short, they are extremely savvy about what they put in their shopping basket. The latest sector figures leave no doubt that what we are seeing for 2012 is selective shopping by consumers, and not just an indiscriminate “cut” in the weekly shop: indeed, in contrast to a largely steady trend in terms of sector volumes for Dairy-Cheese (0.4% in sales volume, +1.3% in sales value) and Frozen Foods (0.7%), there have been “lean times” for the Confectionery sector (almost a full percentage drop), for Cured Meats (1.1% in sales volume, +2.4% in sales value) and for Meat (2.1%). Despite this, the organic produce sector has seen a small “boom”, with sales volume up by 5.6%, and sales value +7.5%. Everyday shopping habits have also changed: so, for example, there is clearly a weakening in commercially packaged ice cream (with sales down by 3.5% in 2012 compared to the previous year), while in the confectionery sector “sweet spreads” have increased their appeal (+7.5% sales volume in 2012 compared to 2011). “2012 ended with declines in food sales never seen before in Italy. And the first few months of 2013 indicate that the situation has taken a further turn for the worse” noted Marco Limonta– Business Insights Director of Symphony IRI. Against this less than encouraging backdrop, a number of segments nonetheless continue to perform very well; a prime example is that of coffee in pods/capsules, which enjoyed a 25.1% increase in volume in 2012. The defining elements of those segments setting the trend are value for money, a notion of healthiness/ wellbeing, products that are “light” or suitable for low-calorie diets”, Limonta concludes.