Marca 2017 is opened at the Bologna Exhibition Centre. The 13th edition of the international event for private label products, organised by BolognaFiere in collaboration with ADM, the association for businesses operating in the sector of grocery retail and production, is Europe’s second largest Fair for the sector and among the leading events worldwide for private label products. Exhibition areas are sold out with an increase of co-packer companies (615, +16% on 2016) and exhibition area (about 29,000 square metres, +12%). All the most important large retailers are present: Auchan, Carrefour, Conad, S&C-Consorzio Distribuzione Italia, Coop, Coralis, Crai, Despar, Iper, Italy Discount, Marr, Selex, Sigma, Simply, Sisa, Risparmio Casa, Tigotà, TuoDì, Unes, Vègè.
A GROWING MARKET – The private label sector in Italy is growing. In the first six months of 2016 private label products have recorded increases in sales of 1.8% in value and 0.9% in volume, increasing their market share to 18.6% of the market for Packaged Mass Consumption Goods. The research into private labels has been carried out by the Marca-BolognaFiere Observatory and was presented at the Co-packer Seminar on the subject of “New horizons in despecialized distribution” held last September in Bologna. According to the IRI data, up to July 2016, sales of private labels in packaged mass consumption goods reached 9.7 billion Euros, generating resulting in significant savings for consumers and productivity for suppliers. There was also an increase in the assortment of private labels which in July reached 1,384 products on average on the shelves with significant growth in the organic sector (+9.5%) and the premium sector (+11.6%). Today consumers are looking to save money but they are also interested in quality: the tendency is to purchase the higher quality products in the range, i.e. the industrial brand being promoted or the guaranteed commercial brand.
THE ITALIAN FAIR – Marca represents a reference point for the Italian market and also for many international operators – explains Marco Momoli, Italian commercial director of BolognaFiere. The 2016 edition of Marca recorded 7,546 professional visitors with an increase of +26% compared with the 2015 edition. 2016 also saw an increase in the number of large groups attending (21 compared with 17 in 2015), co-packer companies exhibiting (55 in total, an increase of 15.4%) and the exhibition space used (+12.6%). This year we will do even better.
