Summary
The global foodservice market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.97%. Within this market, the Italian contract catering sector experienced a significant slowdown in 2020 due to the pandemic, with a sharp 26.6% drop in sales resulting in a decline of 1.75 billion euros on the previous year. The market is slowly recovering, however, as evidenced by the 34.5% increase in total sales between 2020 and 2022, largely due to the resurgence of office work and educational establishments.
Despite challenges such as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which has led to a 0.4% rise in consumer prices and significant increases in the costsdespite challenges such as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which led to a rise in consumer prices, and significant increases in production and utility costs for caterers, there are emerging demand trends in Italy, including a preference for sustainable and seasonal products, healthy menus and a variety of ethnic foods. Italian household spending on canteens fell by 44.9% between 2017 and 2021, but variations exist with higher spending in the northwest and lower in the south and islands. Key players in the Italian market include multinationals like Sodexo and Elior, as well as local companies like Pellegrini and Camst, which focus on sustainable offerings and adapt to contemporary eating habits.
Key drivers of the Italian foodservice market
The Italian foodservice market has undergone significant changes in consumer preferences and demographic transformations that influence demand in the sector. Demand analysis indicates that, despite a decline in average monthly expenditure in canteens over a five-year period, certain segments such as elderly care present growth potential due to the aging of the population. By the end of the decade, the elderly population is expected to grow by around 10-15%, which could boost demand for foodservice in care facilities.
It's equally important to understand demand in the school sector. Despite a downward trend in enrolment, with preschool admissions down by around 15-20%, the need for healthy, sustainable school catering persists. Parents are increasingly expressing their desire for menus that are not only nutritious, but also environmentally friendly. In the corporate sector, however, traditional company canteen models are showing signs of running out of steam. The percentage of small and medium-sized companies offering canteen services has fallen slightly. In response, corporate catering services are exploring new demand trends, such as diverse ethnic offerings and technological improvements for menu customization and ordering. In addition, with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict having an impact on economic conditions, consumer prices for canteens rose by less than 1%.
Despite this, production costs in the food industry climbed significantly, increasing by around 15-20%, influenced by increases in energy prices. Regional disparities in demand are evident, with monthly household spending on catering services significantly higher in the northwest (over 5 euros) than in the south and the islands, where spending is just under one euro. This geographical imbalance reflects the diversity of regional economic conditions and, potentially, differences in the availability and quality of catering services. This dynamic is part of a global context in which the foodservice market is set to grow from a value of around $240-250 billion to more than $320 billion over the next few years. Italy's role in this expanding market is likely to depend on its ability to exploit new demand trends, while meeting the challenges posed by demographic change and economic uncertainty.
Key players shaping Italy's foodservice landscape As we explore the contours of the Italian foodservice industry, certain names stand out for their substantial contribution to the market. These entities not only provide millions of meals a day in a variety of sectors, but also embody the trends and transformations running through Italy's foodservice space.
- Sodexo Italy has established itself as a giant, supporting the market with a range of foodservice and facilities management solutions. Its global footprint and substantial presence in the corporate, education and healthcare sectors underline Sodexo's leading role in the Italian market.sodexo's leading role in delivering personalized food experiences that prioritize sustainability and individual dietary preferences.
- The Elior Group is another international foodservice heavyweight, responding to the changing demands of meal delivery with a focus on personalization and innovation. Elior's commitment to the health and ecological aspects of foodservice makes it a pioneer in the culture of responsible consumption.
- Compass Group, whose heritage spans more than three quarters of a century, remains a formidable player, with its emphasis on freshness, locality and the adaptability of its offerings. Compass's early adoption of technology to facilitate personalized meal pre-ordering illustrates its forward-thinking approach to foodservice.
- Venturing into the local Italian businesses that have become synonymous with quality contract catering, Pellegrini Group boasts an impressive growth trajectory, firmly rooted in the concept of wellness. With its wellness recipes, Pellegrini has combined culinary expertise with scientific validation, offering a menu that is not only tasty, but also healthy.
- Camst is a company that has become perfectly integrated into the fabric of everyday Italian life, serving a wide range of customers with a commitment to dietary diversity and innovative workspace solutions. Its strategic expansion into international markets speaks volumes about its ambition and the scalability of its business.
- CirFood has risen through the ranks to become an industry leader, particularly notable in the school catering segment. CirFood's constant growth and expansion testify to the brand's commitment to feeding the community with a blend of tradition and innovation.
- Serenissima brings the richness of Italian culinary tradition to the foodservice sector. With a focus on fresh, authentic Italian flavors, Serenissima appeals to a myriad of institutions, ensuring that meals are not only nourishing, but also culturally resonant.
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Detailed content
Inforamtion
- Number of pages : 30 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update : 17/10/2023
Summary and extracts
1 Market Summary
1.1 Definition and presentation
Mass catering is an industry that refers to the preparation and distribution of meals within local governments, businesses, or public institutions. It differs from commercial catering in that it is moderately priced, has a somewhat large audience, and is partly paid for by the employer and not entirely paid for by the customer.
Mass catering can be broken down into three macro-categories:
- School sector
- Hospital sector
- Work sector
The three segments share a market share evenly, despite the fact that collective catering in Italy will have to adapt to the progressive change in eating habits, on the one hand sustained by a strong interest in health and sustainability and on the other driven by choices oriented toward convenience and price. In fact, changes in food choices will affect the three major segments mentioned above, but with different impact and difficult to estimate. Additional challenge: the market also is regulated by nutritional quality and food hygiene standards.
1.2 The global market
In ****, the global foodservice market reached a value of $***.* billion. With a compound annual growth rate of *.** percent for the next six years, the value could rise to $***.* billion in ****.
Catering market World, ****-****, billion dollars Imarcgroup In order to delve deeper into the global contract catering market, the market related ...
1.3 The Italian market
For the analysis of the Italian foodservice market, the turnover of the sector is considered. Between **** and ****, data show a very positive trend for foodservice turnover (***), with growth in * years approaching * billion euros. However, the outbreak of the pandemic in **** and the resulting school and office closures has generated heavy repercussions ...
1.4 The consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict
The outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in February **** has led to, among other things, a general increase in the consumer price index. The foodservice industry is not exempt from this increase although the price increases mainly affect corporate catering. In fact, between January **** and August ****, the consumer price index for canteens ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Demand in Italy
To provide a general overview of the demand for mass catering in Italy, household spending on canteens is first analyzed. Between **** and ****, the average monthly expenditure of Italian households appears to be declining. Over the *-year period considered, the value of spending fell by **.*%. Although **** sees the largest contraction, the trend ...
2.2 Different factors influence demand
The aging population
In ****, **.* percent of Italian families say they are willing to consider a care facility as a solution for their loved ones who are no longer self-sufficient.(***) The progressive aging of the Italian population thus represents one of the main factors that may drive the demand for collective catering, ...
2.3 New demand trends
Demand trends in foodservice are constantly evolving, as is the commercial foodservice sector. In particular, some of the main trends are:
The growing preference for sustainable products: consumers are increasingly inclined to consume products with an environmentally and ethically sustainable supply chain. Mass catering is called upon to adapt its skills ...
2.4 Geographical distribution of demand
In order to visualize the geographic distribution of demand, a map was created with the monthly household expenditure on communal food services.
The distribution of spending across the territory is extremely uneven. The Northwest presents the highest monthly expenditure, with*.** euros spent on average by households. It is followed by the ...
3 Market structure
3.1 The market structure
In order to analyze the contract catering market, enterprises under Ateco code **.** "Canteens and continuous catering on a contract basis" are considered. In particular, the number of active enterprises, the number of employees and the legal form of enterprises are analyzed.
Number of enterprises
Between **** and ****, the total number of active ...
3.2 The value chain
3.3 Distribution
Mass catering service can be divided into two categories based on the process of meal distribution. The two types of systems are:
Conventional system: meals are prepared and cooked in the same facility where they will later be distributed. Each kitchen thus works independently of the others as the entire preparation ...
3.4 The main actors
Foreign
Sodexo: Founded in **** in Marseille, Sodexo is the world's number one food service and business services company. The company is present in ** countries around the world and serves more than *** million customers every day. In the catering business, it is active in the corporate, public administration and education sectors. The ...
4 Supply analysis
4.1 Several offerings
Mass catering consists of the preparation and delivery of a large number of complete meals intended for a community. There can be many reasons for people to use these services, such as the need to have complete, healthy meals in a working environment, lack of time to prepare meals at home, ...
4.2 The prices
Regarding prices, rates related to corporate catering are highly variable since it is the company itself that enters into the contract with the caterer and decides how much of the price to charge. For nursing facilities, prices are often included within the monthly or daily fee. In contrast, for school catering, ...
4.3 New supply trends
The foodservice industry's offerings are constantly evolving not only in order to attract new customers but to ensure better service and meal quality. The following are the main trends in the offerings:
Entico street food: some companies active in the sector have launched several ethnic cuisine projects in response to the ...
5 Rules and regulations
5.1 The legislation
The sector is subject to various regulations both at the national and European level. There are regulations applicable to food hygiene and safety . The European Union has adopted several pieces of legislation aimed at establishing a single and transparent food hygiene policy :
regulation ***/**** establishes the basic principles (***) and defines specific obligations ...
6 Positioning of actors
6.1 Positioning of actors
- Elior Ristorazione S.p.a
- CIRFood (Cooperativa Italiana di Ristorazione)
- CAMST (Cooperativa Albergo Mensa Spettacolo e Turismo)
- Compass Group Italia
- Sodexo France
- Ladisa
- Serenissima Ristorazione
- Gruppo Pellegrini
- Vivenda s.p.a
List of charts
- Ripartizione del fatturato per divisione
- Monthly household expenditure on canteens
- Evoluzione della popolazione anziana
- Strutture di assistenza residenziale
- Evoluzione del numero di alunni
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