Carrefour Italia has thrown its weight behind the inaugural National Made in Italy Day, slated for April 15th, an initiative spearheaded by the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. This move underscores the retailer’s robust partnerships with over 10,000 Italian local producers, encompassing more than 8,500 for Carrefour Quality Supply Chain brand products, around 200 for Terre d’Italia, and over 1,300 local and regional suppliers.
From 2021 to 2023, Carrefour’s export of Italian products has witnessed an impressive surge of +44%, reaching a value of €1.15 Billion, up from €800 million three years prior. This meteoric rise is attributed to a well-established local nexus cultivated over the years and buoyed by a presence in 19 Italian regions housing approximately 1,500 retail outlets. Notably, the percentage of Italian suppliers for Carrefour’s own-brand products has now soared to 85% of the total.
These revelations were unveiled during the recent “Carrefour for Made in Italy” event, held as part of a campaign aimed at championing Italian gastronomic offerings through promotional activities both in physical stores and the digital sphere. The event boasted a culinary odyssey christened the “Pathway of Made in Italy Flavors,” which served as a showcase for Italian private-label Carrefour products and partners of the company’s Food Transition Pact.
CARREFOUR ITALIA AND THE SUCCESS OF MADE IN ITALY ABROAD
Among Carrefour’s international clientele, fruits and vegetables reign supreme as the most sought-after category. Staples such as grapes, watermelon, oranges, peaches, and zucchinis command considerable acclaim and are dispatched to Europe’s aisles, notably France, Belgium, Poland, Romania, and Spain, as well as to burgeoning markets in Arab nations like Dubai and across Asia, including Taiwan.
Last year witnessed an extraordinary surge of +99% in wine sales, catapulting revenues to €60 million, a stark contrast from the €30.7 million recorded in 2022. This feat owes much to Carrefour Italia’s pivotal role as the group’s hub for wine exports since 2022, tasked with sourcing Italian wines to quench the thirst of global markets.
COLLABORATION WITH ITALIAN SUPPLIERS
Promoting local products entails fostering intimate collaborations with many small and medium-sized local and regional producers. For over two decades, Carrefour Italia has been a stalwart purveyor of excellence, extending its Carrefour Quality Supply Chain (FQC) line to a discerning clientele. This line, anchored in principles of animal welfare, sustainable farming practices, biodiversity conservation, environmental stewardship, and the promotion of indigenous supply chains, embodies Carrefour’s commitment to excellence. The company currently collaborates with over 8,500 agricultural and livestock producers, traversing over 100 supply chains.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH FARMING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
Carrefour stands apart as a pioneering entity in the Italian-organized large-scale retail landscape, having aligned itself with Filiera Italia in 2021, an association dedicated to championing and valorizing Italian agri-food products of distinction. The recent event organized by Carrefour served as a reaffirmation of its strategic alliance with Filiera Agricola Italiana, a testament to its shared vision of fostering sustainable growth and equitable remuneration across the agri-food supply chain.
Christophe Rabatel, CEO of Carrefour Italia, lauded the company’s participation in the National Made in Italy Day. He underscored Carrefour’s steadfast resolve to buttress local economies, champion Italian products both domestically and on the global stage, advocate for sustainable agricultural practices, and safeguard the rich tapestry of Italian culinary heritage.