A new report by ESM: European Supermarket Magazine, in association with market intelligence firm IRI, has revealed the fastest-growing grocery categories across six key European markets: France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK.
The Europe's Fastest-Growing Categories report, published in the latest edition of ESM, has found that the health and wellness trend is having a significant impact on how consumers shop, with the Chilled and Fresh category seeing gains right across Europe (including by 7.1% in Germany and 5.3% in the Netherlands).
Europe's consumers also appear to also be valuing the convenience of the Frozen category (up by 6.4% in Spain and by 5.0% in Germany).
At the other end of the spectrum, a declining birth rate in many European markets is impacting the Baby category (down by as much as 8.2% in the Netherlands, and 6.0% in France), while consumers also appear to be eager to spend less in the Personal Care and Household categories in several markets.
The report is based on value sales (€MAT year-on-year to October 2017). See below for a full methodology.
An online 'flip book' version of the report can be found here: www.tinyurl.com/FastCats2018book
Shopping Trends
"The Europe's Fastest-Growing Categories report is a window into the shopping habits of European consumers, in particular what trends or external factors are influencing their purchases in-store," said Stephen Wynne-Jones, editor, ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
"As well as explore the macro categories that consumers are shopping more in, the report also examines some of the main movers when it comes to category performance - Meat Alternatives, for example, are a big driver of Frozen sales in the Netherlands, and Sparkling Wine is helping to boost Alcohol sales in the UK.”
The report also highlights the biggest categories in terms of value sales across each of the six markets: the Chilled and Fresh category is the largest by value sales in both France (€23.6 billion) and Germany (€35.1 billion), while Ambient is the lead category in Italy (€16.0 billion).
Ambient also leads the way in the Netherlands (€4.8 billion) and Spain (€12.3 billion), while in the UK, the Alcohol category is the largest by value sales (€18.2 billion).
Particular Nuances
"The needs of the European shopper are constantly changing, and the Europe's Fastest-Growing category report indicates that while many trends are common across all European markets, each country also boasts its particular nuances," commented Olly Abotorabi, senior regional insights manager at IRI.
"The key here is consistency - retailers and brands alike need to ensure that they can provide ranges that are convenient, of high quality and offer good value, in order to keep customers interested."
Methodology
Source: IRI Infoscan. Period: (€) MAT value sales and change YoY%, October 2017. Category Definitions: Ten macro-category definitions established to align specific category data across IRI countries (Alcohol, Ambient, Baby, Chilled and Fresh, Confectionery, Drinks, Frozen, Personal Care, Pet and Household). Channel Coverage: France: Hypermarkets and Supermarkets (Total HYPERS+SUPERS Census). Germany: Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, Soft Discounters, Hard Discounters, Petrol Forecourts (Handel gesamt, excl. Impulse). Italy: Hypermarkets, Supermarkets, Small Supermarkets (Totale Italia + Discount). The Netherlands: Supermarkets, Hard Discounters (Infoscan_Supermarkten/Drogisterijen Totaal). Spain: Hypermarkets, Supermarkets (Total España - H+S+Can). UK: Hypermarkets, Supermarkets, Convenience, Specialist Stores, Petrol Forecourts, Independents (SIG Integrated Snack Outlets, SIG Grocery Outlets). Category composition may differ slightly, depending on the market. For a copy of the report, please contact steve@esmmagazine.com.
About IRI
IRI is a leading provider of big data, predictive analytics and forward-looking insights that help FMCG, OTC health care, retailers and media companies to grow. With the largest repository of purchase, media, social, causal and loyalty data, all integrated on an on-demand cloud-based technology platform, IRI guides over 5,000 clients globally in their quests to remain relentlessly relevant, capture market share, connect with consumers and deliver growth. www.IRIworldwide.com
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
