Summary

The global ready-made sauce market, a sub-segment of the broader sauces and spices market, is experiencing growth due to consumer trends towards convenience and quality. The sauces and spices market is projected to grow at a 4.6% CAGR from 2014 to 2027 in terms of revenue; however, the volume sales growth is more modest at 1.3%. In Italy, the ready-made sauces market remains stable, with annual retail quantities around 45,000 tons and slight value increases due to new product introductions.

Italian Appetite for Convenient Quality

The Ready-Made Sauce Surge In recent years, the Italian market has witnessed a stable yet nuanced growth within the ready-made sauce sector, emphasizing the country's penchant for gastronomic convenience balanced with an appreciation for quality. Reflecting a global upward trajectory, ready-made sauces have become kitchen staples in Italian households, with a market value steady around 1.1 billion euros, bolstered by a consumer base that shows a robust 55 percent penetration rate. Italian consumers, struggling with the pressures of time, have turned towards ready-made products for simplicity, contributing to a consistent demand for sauces. These products, remarkably present in the northern regions, which account for over half of the national consumption, have evolved to cater to sophisticated palates, with a market segmentation that includes tomato-based condiments, pesto varieties, and a range of other sauces, both hot and cold. Supermarkets and hypermarkets emerge as prime purchasing spots, especially post-pandemic with e-commerce channels gaining traction. Trust in brands, diversified recipes, and innovation drive the purchase decisions, tilting the scales in favor of sauces that offer authentic Italian flavors and high-quality ingredients, reflecting a consumer base that is quality-oriented and open to new gastronomic experiences. Within the Italian market, cold sauces like mayonnaise and salad dressings enjoyed a spike in sales, seeing a considerable annual increase, while tomato puree remains the heavyweight in the canned reds and UHT sauce segments, with a commanding 53 percent of value sales. However, the volume increase in 'Other Sauces,' though constituting 1 percent of the market, marked a significant 60 percent rise, hinting at a diversifying sauce palate among Italians. The ready-made sauce industry has witnessed concentration, with fewer enterprises holding a larger market share. Nonetheless, the market size remained stable, while the workforce saw a growth reflecting industry expansion in employment over a five-year span. The balance of trade shows a buoyant export market, with Italy exporting sauces and condiments more than five times the volume it imports, with significant growth demonstrated over a decade. Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred shifts in the industry as domestic consumption patterns changed, highlighting the resilience of the ready-made sauce market even amidst global crises. This era also cast a spotlight on products with authentic Italian roots and long shelf lives, with certain segments like ready-made and fresh sauces enjoying greater success against declining trends in others like pulpy sauces. In conclusion, Italians, especially the younger demographic, are inclined towards products.

Key Players in the Italian Ready-Made Sauce Market

The Italian ready-made sauce market boasts a number of established players that have made significant contributions to the industry's growth and maintained consumer trust through their brand reputation and product diversity.

Barilla - Known for its pasta and ready-made sauce products, Barilla has cemented itself as a household name not only in Italy but around the world. Their range of sauces, particularly their pesto and tomato-based sauces, are popular for their convenience and flavor profiles that resonate with the traditional Italian palate.

Cirio - A venerable player in the sector, Cirio holds a prestigious position, particularly with its tomato-based products like passata and pelati. Their long-standing presence in the market has earned them a loyal consumer base that values the brand's commitment to quality and Italian tradition.

De Cecco - While they may be more famous for their high-quality pasta, De Cecco also provides an array of ready-made sauce options. Their sauces are often praised for their authenticity and the use of premium ingredients that reflect the brand's legacy in Italian cuisine.

Buitoni - Another prominent name, Buitoni offers a selection of ready-made sauces that cater to a variety of tastes and dietary needs, including some innovative takes on traditional recipes. Their position in the market is strengthened by their commitment to simplifying meal preparation without compromising on taste. 

Get all the information you need
to understand this market

Detailed content

Inforamtion

  • Number of pages : 30 pages
  • Format : Digital and PDF versions
  • Last update : 10/08/2023
Update Details

Summary and extracts

1 Market Overview

1.1 Definition and presentation

A ready-made sauce is a finished product (mixture of several ingredients) that can be purchased in grocery stores and supermarkets, the use of which involves only that the contents of the jar are heated and then combined directly with other foods such as pasta or rice.

The ready-made sauce market can be segmented into:

-Tomato-based condiments;

-Pesto;

-Other sauces (micro-category).

This market can also be segmented into hot sauces and cold sauces (mayonnaise, salad dressings, etc.) and is a sub-segment of the condiment market.

The global market for ready-made sauces is definitely growing for several reasons, one of which is the lack of material time to be able to cook that forces consumers to opt for ready-made products. It is projected that The global sales of the sauces and spices market will increase with a CAGR of 4.6 percent from 2014 to 2027, while volume sales of sauces and spices will grow by 1.3 percent during this period. In Italy, the sauces market is basically stable and in retail is worth about 45,000 tons per year. The market value has increased slightly over the years due to the introduction of new products.

In recent years, the penetration of ready-made sauces within Italian households has stood at 55 percent, and it can be seen that 57 percent of volumes are purchased in northern Italy.

The criteria of choice that lead consumers to buy one sauce rather than another are trust in the brand and diversification of recipes, the more sophisticated the recipes are the less the consumer will be driven to an impulsive purchase and it will be easier to make him a regular customer.

Consumers' favorite places to purchase these products are hypermarkets. As for cold sauces we note a positive purchasing trend mainly due to the introduction of e-commerce channels that have become increasingly popular in the post-Covid period.The main trends that have been evidenced by the most important players in the market are the constant search for quality by consumers, attention to raw materials (possibly Italian) used and authentic flavors, and innovation. Innovation is considered a key factor because only by innovating can the producer capture the changing food trends and tastes of consumers.

1.2 World Market

Global sales in the sauces and spices market will increase at a CAGR of *.* percent from **** to ****, while volume sales of sauces and spices will grow by *.* percent during this period. In the sauces and spices segment, Japan and Switzerland have the highest annual per capita revenues in ****.

Global segment turnover: ...

1.3 Italian Market

In the last year (***) sauces reached a total turnover of *.* billion euros. this is what emerges from the report 'Reds and ready-made sauces in the year of the energy and inflationary crisis' prepared by Iri.

The largest market, reds, boasts a year-on-year turnover of more than *** million euros. Tomato puree remains ...

1.4 Imports and Exports

The graph shows the trends in exports, imports, and the coverage rate of sauces and other seasonings from and to Italy over the years **** to ****. Exports increased steadily over the years, from $***.* million in **** to $****.* million in ****. The largest increase occurred between **** and ****, when exports increased from $****.* million to $****.* million. Imports, ...

1.5 Covid-19 impact

The COVID-** pandemic has had a differentiated impact on various sectors of the Italian food industry, including sauce manufacturers. While some segments have suffered severe difficulties due to restaurant closures and lockdowns, others have thrived due to increased domestic consumption, sometimes reversing previously declining trends.

Now, these sectors are faced with ...

2 Demand analysis

2.1 Sales volumes of various products

Sauces, and especially tomato sauces, have traditionally been a passion for Italians, and this is certainly also demonstrated by the value of this market within Italian Distribution. In fact, in the last year, the Rossi market and the UHT Sauces market together reached a turnover of more than *.* billion euros In ...

2.2 The Italians and Tomato Base Sauces

Consumption of the young

Regarding purchasing behavior, even in the youngest age groups, passata represents for **% of respondents, the most purchased option combining practicality and affordability. This is followed by pulp (***). Bringing up the rear is tomato paste, preferred in only *% of cases.

Purchasing habits of young people's tomato derivatives, by ...

2.3 Average monthly household expenditure

The graph shows the average monthly household expenditure on sauces and condiments, in current euros, from **** to ****. In ****, the average expenditure was *.** euros. This increased by about *.* percent in ****, reaching *.** euros. In ****, the average expenditure increased again, reaching *.** euros, which represents an increase of about *.* percent over ****. In ****, the average expenditure ...

2.4 Pasta consumption as a demand driver

Pasta consumption is proportionally related to the consumption of sauces and gravies for several reasons, related to both eating habits and practical and gustatory aspects. This close relationship between the two aspects has a significant impact on food markets, especially in countries like Italy, where pasta is a staple food and ...

2.4 Omnichanneling

Buzzoole research shows that ** percent of Italians follow influencers for culinary advice. Beverage-themed content has also increased in the past year.

On social networks, people are increasingly talking about food. That of food & beverage-themed content is a long-standing trend, but one that has seen a further increase in the past year. ...

3 Market structure

3.1 Market actors

As can be seen from the graph below, the number of enterprises has gradually decreased in recent years: from from *** enterprises in **** to **** enterprises in ****, for adecrease of **, or **.* percent. However, this trend was reversed during the pandemic: in ****, the number of enterprises increased by ** to *** with an increase of *.*% over ...

3.2 Value Chain

3.3 Distribution channels

Ready-made sauces are very common food products and can be distributed through a variety of channels. Distribution channels depend on the company's strategy, target market, and product type. Here are some common distribution channels for ready-made sauces:

Supermarkets and hypermarkets: This is one of the main distribution channels for ready-made sauces. ...

4 Supply analysis

4.1 Products

Classics

Mother sauces

- Spanish sauce (***)

- béchamel and velouté (***)

- tomato sauce

Basic sauces

- white sauces (***)

- Brown sauces (***)

Derived or compound sauces

- which are derived from the parent sauces or tomato sauce, e.g. port sauce which is made by adding port to demi-glace sauce .

Not ...

4.2 Prices

In UHT Sauces, on the other hand, the increase in the average price already accelerates from the beginning of the summer, while the sharp decrease in the promotional level is present in the preceding months. In fact, as shown in the graph below from December ****, we were already beginning to see ...

4.3 Trends

There are a number of trends in the sauces market:

Low-fat , low-caloriesauces are gaining ground.in food consumption, the most relevant finding emerging is undoubtedly that of a new approach to food, characterized by an increasing attention to the health aspects of food; there is a growing awareness among consumers that ...

5 Regulations

5.1 Regulation

The production of sauces and gravies in Italy must comply with various regulations at the national level and, if intended for export, European regulations as well. Some of the main regulations that must be considered include:

General Food Safety Law: This law establishes the general principles for food safety and sets ...

6 Positioning of actors

6.1 Segmentation

All our studies are available online in PDF format

Take a look at an example of our research on another market!

Do you have a question about this study?   +44 238 097 0676

Latest news

Barilla is betting on its innovations for 2022. - 12/04/2022
  • Barilla, number two in dry pasta and sauces, and leader in pre-packaged bread with its Harrys brand, unveils its innovations for 2022.
  • Its new Al Bronzo pasta range breaks the mould with red packaging and a unique manufacturing process using the "lavorazione grezza" method and durum wheat selected for its quality.
  • A new "delicate" cooking method to preserve the taste of the ingredients has been implemented thanks to a 30 million euro investment in a new production line at its Rubbiano sauce factory
  • Harrys has invested 26 million euros in a new line at its Talmont-Saint-Hilaire plant
  • The number one in pre-packed breads will offer two new thick-sliced 100% mie references available in stores from June 2022
Italian giant Barilla strengthens its position in the U.S. with the acquisition of Back to Nature - 19/12/2022
  • Italian giant, sales €3.9 billion
  • Barilla is leader in pasta in the U.S. with 38% market share, and in sauces with 20%
  • Barilla has acquired the American brand Back to Nature (bread yeast, crackers, granola, non-GMO nuts and hazelnuts)
  • Approximately $50 million in sales
  • In France, Barilla owns bread specialist Harry's, in Italy Mulino Bianco, and in Northern Europe Wasa.
Harrys aims to conquer baguette country - 18/04/2023
  • The market has tripled in size in twenty years.
  • 30% market share for Harrys.
  • 11 billion euros in sales for traditional bakery products by 2022.
  • Steady decline in fresh bread consumption in France since 2015.
  • Harry's founded in 1970 and acquired by Italy's Barilla in 2003.
  • Share of pre-sliced and pre-packed bread consumption in France: nearly 10%.
  • Share of pre-sliced and pre-packed bread consumption in Germany: 45%.
  • Share of pre-sliced and pre-packed bread consumption in Spain: 14%.

Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

Barilla
Rana (Groupe Giovanni Rana)
Mutti
Acetum S.p.a
Ponti S.p.a

Choosing this study means :

Access to more than 35 hours of work

Our studies are the result of over 35 hours of research and analysis. Using our studies allows you to devote more time and added value to your projects.

Benefit from 6 years' experience and over 1,500 industry reports already produced

Our expertise enables us to produce comprehensive studies in all sectors, including niche and emerging markets.

Our know-how and methodology enable us to produce reports that offer unique value for money.

Access to several thousand articles and paid-for data

Businesscoot has access to all the paid economic press as well as exclusive databases to carry out its market research (over 30,000 articles and private sources).

To enhance our research, our analysts also use web indicators (semrush, trends, etc.) to identify market trends and company strategies. (Consult our paying sources)

Guaranteed support after your purchase

A team dedicated to after-sales service, to guarantee you a high level of satisfaction. +44 238 097 0676

A digital format designed for our users

Not only do you have access to a PDF, but also to a digital version designed for our customers. This version gives you access to sources, data in Excel format and graphics. The content of the study can therefore be easily retrieved and adapted for your specific needs.

Our offers :

the market for sauces | Italy

89 €
  • What are the figures on the size and growth of the market?
  • What is driving the growth of the market and its evolution?
  • What is the positioning of companies in the value chain?
  • Data from several dozen databases

5 reports pack (-15%) IT Italy

75.6 € / study
378 € instead of 445 € -15%
  • 5 reports at €75.6 excluding VAT per study to choose from our Italian catalogue for 12 months
  • Save 15% on additional studies purchased
  • Choose to be refunded any unused credit at the end of the 12-month period (duration of the pack)

See the terms and conditions of the pack and the refund of unused credit.

Updates

Our customer references

They have consulted our studies Discover the opinions (+500)

Malcolm Vincent
Linkedin logo

Malcolm Vincent

Astoria Finance

Gregoire de Castelnau
Linkedin logo

Gregoire de Castelnau

Stags Participations

Timothé Huignard
Linkedin logo

Timothé Huignard

PWC

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff
Linkedin logo

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff

BCG

Aymeric Granet
Linkedin logo

Aymeric Granet

Publicis Consultant

interviews & case studies All interviews and case studies (45)

La pépite Interview

BFM Business

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff

Boston Consulting Group

Marie Guibart

Kea Partners

Elaine, Durand

Crédit Agricole, Information & Veille

Philippe Dilasser

Initiative & Finance

Anne Baudry

Metro

Amaury Wernert

Kroll (Duff & Phelps)

Smart Leaders Interview

B-Smart

Do you have a question ?
Our team is at your disposal at   +44 238 097 0676