the caviar market | France

1.1 Definition and scope of study

The caviar is a gourmet food from luxury made from sturgeon eggs, native to Russia. Caviar is characterized by its price, which can vary between between 2 000 € and 30 000 € per kilogram for the rarest and most sought-after species (e.g. Iranian white caviar of the albino beluga albino Almas). There are two main types of caviar in France: the wild caviar and the farmed caviar . A more recent and much less developed outlet is that of the cosmetics with the integration of caviar in some cosmetic products that benefit from the richness of caviar's natural components, allowing the skin to be restructured and revitalized thanks to the nutritive substance vitellin.

The world market for caviar is growing very strongly, with an 90% production growth rate between 2017 and 2020 . The most demanding markets are the United States, Europe and Japan . The regulation in force with regard to the production and marketing of caviar is governed by the European Union and accompanies the various structural changes in the market in recent years.

France is the 3ᵉ global producer of caviar and relies on a network of producers and manufacturers recognized worldwide for the quality of their products. The challenge of caviar is its democratisation to the greatest number: caviar is today a luxury product reserved for a minority of the French population or reserved for special events such as Christmas Eve or New Year's Day; it is therefore a market marked by seasonality. Caviar is distributed by delicatessens and local markets The vast majority, and to a lesser extent, online and in GSA (Large Food Premises).

The main players on the French market are producers such as kaviar Group or Caviar House Group restaurants and delicatessens such as The Nordic House or Petrossian and distributors such as Carrefour or Intermarché .