Italian Berry Magazine is back in print and digital format, filled with content, news, and information about the world of berries.
Pick up your free copy at Fruit Attraction (Madrid) in the Press area or browse the magazine online.
In this issue
Italian families’ confidence returns towards the berry category. In the last two years, overall consumption saw a slowdown in growth, supported only by blueberries, while other products in the category showed signs of a concerning crisis.
However, in the last 12 months spending has increased by 15.3% and for the first time, Italian families have purchased berries worth 214 million euros, with an additional 390 million euros for strawberries. The berry sector is therefore worth over 600 million euros in Italy.
The 10.4% of Italian families’ spending on fresh fruit is represented by strawberries and berries, while just 4 years ago this share was 8.6%. Excluding strawberries, the share of berries in the fruit basket has seen a sharp increase in recent years, rising from 2.2% in 2020 to 3.7% in the past 12 months.
We are still far from the levels of other markets where berries are the main category in the fruit section, and blueberries could soon become the highest-grossing product. But this is also an opportunity that could benefit both national and global production.
Italian strawberry and berry production is generally stable. The competitive position of Italian producers leaves little room for overall increases, but there are strategic shifts and reinforcements in specific segments, aimed at strengthening the economic sustainability of crops.
On the other hand, the Italian market is growing, and imported products are almost entirely taking up these new market spaces. These are significant movements: in the last 3 years, Italian families’ purchases have increased from 141 to 214 million euros, with a rise of 73 million (+52%).
The main growth opportunities in the market, in Italy, still lie in the potential increase in penetration: still 72% of Italian families have not purchased blueberries in the last 12 months, while two-thirds of Italians have never purchased any type of berry.
It is up to operators to find the right levers to attract new consumers and retain existing ones: from varietal development to marketing the possibilities are many.
And Italian consumers are ready for it!
