The infusion market - Italy

1.1 Definition and presentation

Infusion refers to an extraction method of initially immersing a plant in hot water that is then allowed to cool to extract the active ingredients or natural flavors. The term infusion refers to the liquid thus obtained. The market is a sub-segment of the large non-alcoholic beverage industry, and includes a variety of products that differ, however, from traditional tea.

Originally used for medicinal purposes, infusions have been known since 2737 B.C., when the Chinese emperor Chen Nung first immersed a tea leaf in hot water. Today there are many different varieties of herbal teas, including black, green, and white teas, as well as teas with chamomile, ginger, verbena, and many others. These products can be sold in bags or jars, in supermarkets or specialty stores.

In Italy, the market is experiencing an impressive explosion, with growth of +14.1 percent in 2018 over the previous year, reflecting a shift in consumer orientation toward healthy products and the need for more variety in product lines and especially in soft drinks-a market that instead is stagnating with declines in both value (-1.7 percent) and volume (-4.1 percent) in the

Infusions, in fact, are benefiting from both an established awareness and growing positive word-of-mouth of their impact on physical and mental well-being. In addition, the opportunity to have a wide assortment of products-the market leaders have between 10 and 15 different lines-seems to be driving demand both at home and away from home. However, the industry presents a relatively concentrated picture, with strong market shares in the hands of a small number of players, who continue to benefit from the power and dominance of their brand.