1.1 Presentation and definition of the sushi market in Germany

Sushi is a dish of Japanese origin based on vinegared rice (shari), and another ingredient (neta), most often raw fish (tuna, salmon etc.). The recipe is extremely popular in the world.

There are different types of sushi but the main ones are

Makis - roll-shaped sushi wrapped in seaweed
Temaki - the preparation is similar to maki, in the form of a cone
Nigiri - a slice of raw fish on an oval shaped rice ball

Sushi is mainly served in restaurants, but the current dynamism of the sector is mainly due to the popularity of this dish around the world as a star of ready-to-eat. Thus, it is increasingly distributed in supermarkets and hypermarkets (GMS) and offered for delivery.

The global market is growing rapidly, driven by the dynamism of Japanese restaurants in all regions of the world, led by Asia and North America.

In Germany, sushi was viewed with skepticism a few years ago, but today it is highly sought after and available almost everywhere. Sushi is no longer only available in high-end Japanese restaurants, but also in supermarkets. Sushi is now also an important part of the delivery service and is ensuring rapid growth in the restaurant sector. Today, there are more than 1000 official sushi shops in the country.

1.2 A dynamic global market

Sushi is strongly rooted in Japanese culture and this is strongly reflected in the revenues generated by fish exports in Japan. Revenues were slightly impacted by the health crisis in ****. In general, the trend has been upward since **** and will reach *** billion yen in **** with an increase of **% in * years.

Evolution ...

1.3 German market shows resilience

The number of restaurants subject to tax in Germany has been in sharp decline for the past decade having lost more than *,*** restaurants between **** and ****. The year **** marked by Covid only reinforced this finding, decreasing the number by *,*** restaurants and reaching **,*** restaurants.

Number of restaurants subject to tax Germany, **** to ****, in ...

1.4 A market in transition that is adapting

A market that has managed to avoid the saturation of its French neighbor:

The German sushi market is a market that, like its European counterparts, has evolved enormously in recent years. On many points, it can be said that it has followed the developments of its French neighbor with a little ...

2.1 A rapidly growing demand

The demand for sushi is indeed more significant among a young population. In a context of more and more individual households and a very mobile society, consumption habits have changed in favor of the "ready-to-eat" food industry. Sushi has an ideal format to meet the demand of a young population, which ...

2.2 Salmon and tuna, kings of demand

In Germany, salmon is the most popular fish (***) and consumed in sushi. Closely followed by tuna, these two fish alone account for **% of German preferences. Although this data dates back to ****, this preference does not seem to have particularly changed in recent years.

Preferred fish of Germans in sushi Germany, ****, % Source: ...

2.3 The profile of the sushi consumer

The following graph shows the different age categories according to their consumption of sushi. It is not surprising to see that young people are the biggest consumers and represent almost **% of the total consumers. Surprisingly, middle-aged adults are the ones who consume the least sushi among the * categories proposed.

Age category ...

2.4 A demand which turns to the GMS

In **** the penetration rate of sushi in German supermarkets was only *.*%. [***]

But for the past * years in Germany, sushi has become a staple in supermarket shelves. The target group is young people who love sushi and are looking for freshness, long shelf life and, above all, a sushi box that is ...

3.1 The salmon supplier segment

The production of salmon: the Norwegian quasi monopoly

The sushi market is highly dependent on fish, the main raw material for sushi. According to the Seafood Study, So essen die Deutschen **% of the salmon in sushi comes from the Atlantic Ocean.

Origin of salmon in sushi Germany, **** % Source: ****

The study adds ...

3.2 Distribution channels

There are * main distribution channels.

Japanese restaurants, independent (***); Restaurant chains offering sushi (***); Supermarket departments.

In ****, **.*% of Germans prefer traditional independent Japanese restaurants to enjoy their sushi on site or to take away. Next come sushi found in Asian all-you-can-eat restaurants, and sushi found in the shelves of hypermarkets and supermarkets. [***]

To ...

3.3 Delivery is key to the development of the market

Still insignificant in ****, the share of food ordered online in Germany has only increased since. The rise of delivery platforms bodes very well for the sushi market, as sushi stands out as one of the most suitable and popular dishes for delivery (***). In addition, the share of the population that sees ...

4.1 Average price per type of sushi

The price of sushi varies depending on the distribution channel, the type of sushi but also the additional ingredient (***). In addition, restaurants usually offer platters or packages with an assortment of sushi which again increases the price range at which sushi is sold.

The table below gives the order of magnitude ...

4.2 The different types of sushi

The German market includes all the traditional sushi known on the European market, the demand for it is roughly similar in each country and therefore the offer is not more or less varied than in one of its neighbors.

Makis - roll-shaped sushi wrapped in seaweed Temaki - similar to maki, ...

5.1 Supervision of the restoration and sale of shushis

The sale of sushi must follow the regulations for the sale of foodstuffs: in particular, Regulation (***) No. ***/****, which sets out the rules to be followed in terms of hygiene for foodstuffs of animal origin. [***] The most important point because structuring the market is that the fish must be frozen before being ...