Spain-based tuna supplier Grupo Calvo increased global sales by 7.5% in 2017 to €618.3 million, marking a decade of consistent growth for the company.
The group posted a volume sales increase of 1.7%, while EBITDA was €62 million, slightly down on the €66 million the company recorded in 2016.
Grupo Calvo is present in over 70 countries through its three main brands, Gomes da Costa, Calvo and Nostromo, and the company boasts production and packaging plants in Spain, El Salvador and Brazil.
Despite a shortage of local raw material (primarily sardines) for its Brazilian Gomes da Costa subsidiary and the depreciation of the Brazilian real, the company either increased or maintained its sales volume and market share in all markets in which it operates.
Growth was especially positive in Spain, with market share increases in almost all canned fish product segments.
New Products
The launch of the new Ecoline, featuring pole-caught tuna packed in certified organic oil, and the consolidation of its Claro Light Yellowfin Tuna range contributed to strengthening brand leadership in the tuna category, the company said.
In Italy, where Grupo Calvo owns a 40% stake in Bolton Group (Rio Mare), the Nostromo brand has successfully focused on organic and new products dedicated to health and well-being, such as the new Tuna Nostromo Zero SKU, the first tuna product that is completely free of fats.
After Spain, Italy is the second biggest canned tuna market, worth €1.3 billion in 2017, based on data from the Italian National Association of Fish Canneries (Ancit).
Canned tuna is especially popular among under-25s and in families with children, and is present in 94% of Italian households, according to a Doxa-Ancit survey.
Overall, global canned tuna sales are worth over €36 billion.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
