For Italian pasta producers 2020 was a year of record sales not only in Italy but also abroad. According to Italy’s farmers association Coldiretti, exports grew by +16%. The Veneto-based pasta company Sgambaro export sales grew by +30%.
“It is an exceptional result in every sense” – says Pierantonio Sgambaro, president of the historic pasta company. “We are aware that this performance is closely linked to the health emergency and we hope it will not be repeated. However, we welcome with great satisfaction an important signal: high-quality pasta is increasingly recognized and appreciated, even in countries that do not share our own tradition and passion for this product.”
Sgambaro has been producing a single line of durum wheat pasta since 2001, using only Italian raw materials. The pasta purchased in Copenhagen or Riyadh is therefore the same as that on the shelves in Milan or Bologna.
EXPORT SALES GROWTH GOALS
This year, Sgambaro aims to consolidate 2020 sales volumes with a further growth by +5%. Within three years, the company wants to bring the weight of foreign sales on the overall turnover to 30%, starting from the current 18-20% (on a global turnover of 21 million euros in 2020).
The Italian pasta company is very well positioned in Northern Europe, particularly Denmark, Finland and Sweden, but also Iceland. It is working to enter or expand its presence in large European markets such as France, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom, watching with interest the evolution of purchasing behavior in Eastern European countries and Russia. “In recent months we have started exporting to the Czech Republic, Poland and Serbia,” – says Federico Gris, sales director of Sgambaro. “In Russia, it is mainly the high-end restaurants that order our pasta.”
The Sgambaro brand has also become the ambassador of 100% Italian pasta in many different countries. In fact, its exports extend from Saudi Arabia to Israel, to South Africa, and from Australia to the countries of Southeast Asia and Japan, as well as Canada.
THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Sgambaro’s biggest challenge is to make foreign consumers understand the value of high-quality Italian pasta and, in particular, why raw material and processing really make the difference in terms of taste, nutritional properties and safety.
The human relationship and continuous exchange that is established between Sgambaro and its partners in the distribution chain, very similar to the one with Italian farmers which have been its suppliers for over twenty years, increases the ability to find solutions and propose products that meet the needs of a specific country. It is also necessary to be flexible and willing to invest in research & development in order to offer a pasta that meets the real needs of consumers and is affordable for everyone.
HALAL CERTIFICATION AND THE “COLOURFUL PASTA” PROJECT IN CHINA
After obtaining Star-K Kosher certification, which opened an important outlet in the Israeli market, Sgambaro passed the rigorous Halal certification process too. “In addition to these two countries, international Halal recognition has allowed us to enter also Indonesia and Saudi Arabia markets” – says Gris.
In China, the “Colourful Pasta” project was born from the comparison with one of the largest online distributors of local supplements. It involves the creation of five references of pasta flavored with turmeric (which gives it a yellow color), spinach (green), tomato (red), beet (purple) and spirulina algae (dark green-blue). “Considering that even a ‘niche market’ in China potentially represents millions of people, the initiative could give a significant boost to our growth in this country” – says Gris.