the infusion market | Italy

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Infusion stands for an extraction method consisting of initially soaking a plant in hot water which is then left to cool in order to extract the active ingredients or natural aromas. The term infusion also and above all refers to the liquid thus obtained. The market is a subsegment of the greater non-alcoholic beverage industry, and it includes a variety of products, which are though distinguished from traditional tea.

Traditionally used for medicinal purposes, infusions have been known since 2737 BC, when the Chinese Emperor Chen Nung first soaked 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 pots, in supermarkets or in specialist shops.

In Italy the market is experiencing an impressive explosion, with a growth of +14.1% in 2018 compared to the previous year, following consumers’ focus shift on healthy products and need of greater variety in product lines and especially within non-alcoholic beverages – a market that on the other hand in stagnation with a downturn both in value (-1.7%) and volume (-4.1%) in 2018. Infusions are benefiting from both an established awareness and a positive growing word of mouth of their impact on mental and physical well-being.

In addition, the opportunity to have a large assortment of products – market leaders have between 10 and 15 different lines - seems to be driving both at home and out of home demand. The outlook of the industry though remains relatively concentrated, with strong market shares in the hands of a small number of players, which continue to benefit from their brand power and dominance.