The infant food market - France

from 2020 onwards, the global infant nutrition market, which includes infant milk and dietary diversification products, continues to experience significant trends and developments. While the French market remains a major player, particularly in infant milk, global growth is driven by strong demand from China, where parents place great trust in foreign brands, particularly after the 2008 milk scandal. The market is highly concentrated, dominated by giants such as Danone and Nestlé, which together account for 80% of the global market. There has been a noticeable shift towards organic products, with increased consumer demand leading to 30% growth in this segment. Despite the good overall performance of key brands, demographic changes such as falling birth rates are affecting market dynamics, with France witnessing a gradual decline in births. According to Euromonitor, the French market, although still a major consumer of infant formula, is expected to experience an average annual decline of 0.9% by 2024.

Confidence in brands remains a key factor in consumer choice, particularly after incidents such as the salmonella scandal at Lactalis. Distribution is mainly via supermarkets and hypermarkets, with internet sales increasing but remaining marginal. Prices are rising, with Nestlé Nutrition reporting a gross margin of 19.1%, reflecting the oligopolistic nature of the market. French infant nutrition exports grew considerably, mainly to countries such as Algeria and China. With ongoing changes in consumer preferences and demographic challenges, the infant nutrition market remains dynamic, with a nuanced balance between established brands and new market entrants responding to evolving demand

Trends and dynamics in the French baby food market

The French baby food market, valued at around 1.2 billion euros, is an evolving landscape profoundly influenced by demographic changes, cultural practices and consumer preferences. This market is mainly divided into two segments: infant milks, which capture over half the market at around 63%, and diversification foods such as compotes, purées and yogurts, which account for around 37%. One notable trend in the French market is the growing popularity of organic baby foods. With a growth rate of 30% observed over a few months in 2017, the organic segment now represents over 15% of the market. This surge is reflected in the product offering of both established giants such as Danone and Nestlé, and organic specialists such as HiPP and Vitagermine. Demand for products with the "made in France" label also supports this trend, with companies like Blédina aiming to source a significant proportion of their ingredients locally.

Despite this positive dynamic, the market faces demographic challenges. There has been a gradual decline in the number of births, with a notable drop to around 730,242. This, combined with a downward trend in the frequency of infant food consumption, indicates that the consumer base is shrinking. Another major problem facing the market is that of trust. following scandals such as the widespread contamination in China in 2008 and the more recent Lacatalis scandal in France, consumer confidence has become paramount. The reliability of brands like Blédina and Nestlé is crucial to maintaining their combined 80% market share. The market also relies heavily on the convenience offered by its products, as the rise in the average age of parents and the employment rate of women mean that time-saving and ease of use are becoming important purchasing criteria.

The distribution channels for baby food are mainly supermarkets and hypermarkets, which account for 90% of infant milk sales. Pharmacies account for a smaller but significant share, due to the positive health perception associated with their products. Online sales, though still marginal, show robust growth year on year. The strict regulations governing the French market guarantee compliance with the highest safety standards. Preservatives, colorants, artificial hormones, sweeteners and certain pesticides are strictly regulated or banned outright, and any health claims must be backed up by solid research and approved by the European authorities.

In terms of corporate involvement in the market, general multinationals are the most active in infant nutrition The infant nutrition market is a territory occupied by a wide range of companies, each putting forward distinct approaches to meeting the needs of young children and their parents. While some companies have consolidated their status as generalist multinationals in the agri-food sector, others have carved out niches as organic specialists or focus primarily on infant nutrition and health. In addition, dairy cooperatives and food distributors play a key role in shaping the baby food industry's offering.

Dominant generalist multinationals

Among the titans of the global baby food sphere, Danone and Nestlé stand out as behemoths. These two companies have established themselves not only as market leaders in France, but also on the international stage. Their extensive product portfolios, constant innovation and considerable market share make them influential trendsetters in the industry.

• Organic food pioneers: With the rise of organic baby food, companies like HiPP and Vitagermine have experienced dynamic growth. These companies have responded to consumer demand for clean, sustainable and reliable nutritional options for infants, capitalizing on the growing market segment that prioritizes organic ingredients and environmentally-friendly production processes.
• Pediatric nutrition specialists: A subset of the market is occupied by companies whose primary mission is children's health and nutrition. Nutriset, Gilbert Laboratories and Nutriben*, to name but a few, bring specialist knowledge of child health to the table. Their focus on the science of nutrition enables them to offer products that meet the specific dietary needs of infants and young children.
• Dairy cooperatives and local plants: Organizations like Sodiaal emphasize their cooperative model and their commitment to quality from their community of dairy farmers. Their market position is significant, reflecting the importance of local production and the projection of a healthy, trust-inspiring image that resonates with health-conscious parents.
• Influential food retailers: Finally, entities such as Bio c'Bon, Carrefour and Leclerc represent the retail side of the market. They not only provide distribution channels for various infant nutrition brands, but often develop their own brands as well, diversifying the options available to consumers and stimulating competition within the sector.

Each of these companies, through their capacity and strategic positioning in the market, contributes to making the infant nutrition market competitive and innovative. Whether they lead a broad product assortment, specialize in organic products, focus on specific health solutionswhether they lead a broad product range, specialize in organic products, focus on specific health solutions, rely on cooperation agreements or engage in research and development activities, they all contribute to the market's competitiveness.

Informations

• Nombre de pages : 30 pages
• Format : Version digitale et PDF
• Dernière mise à jour : 11/07/2022

Sommaire et extraits

Liste des graphiques

• Évolution du chiffre d'affaires de l'alimentation infantile
• Evolution des naissances
• Fréquence de consommation de nourriture infantile
• Critères d'achat d'aliments infantiles par les parents
• Évolution de la part du bio sur le marché de l'alimentation infantile
• Parts de marché des plus grands acteurs du secteur sur le segment bio
• Consommation de nourriture infantile par marque
• Marques péférées dans l'univers des produits alimentaires pour enfants
• Part des consommateurs déclarant la confiance primordiale lors de l'achat selon les secteurs
• Évolution du chiffre d'affaires de l'alimentation infantile
• Destination des exportations par pays
• Origine des importations par pays
• Évolution de la balance commerciale
• Répartition des ventes de lait infantile par canal de distribution