Mar. 24 – Wine sales among big retailers recorded modest growth in 2014 and a more robust recovery in the first two months of 2015. To consolidate the trend, sales abroad need to increase, especially in terms of great international distribution capacity. This is the key element that emerged during a round table organized by Vinitaly Veronafiere, in collaboration with IRI, on the wine retail market. After the presentation on data and statistics, the speakers focused on the sales trends of Italian wines abroad. IRI confirms that, today, in the US, Italian wines represent 35% (by value) of total imported wines sold on shelves; in Germany, this grows to 30%. But for both countries the percentage can grow significantly thanks to increased availability of foreign chains on the one hand, and a plan the Italian government is developing on the other, reports Emilio Gatto, general manager for the promotion of food quality at the Ministry of Agriculture. “The Ministry of Agriculture is working on the identification of ‘target’ countries with which to initiate collaborative projects. These will see our national retail chains directly involved in the signing of the agreements with major international players. The project is in its infancy but it will take shape with the collaboration of the different stakeholders.” Gianluigi Ferrari, General Manager of the Core Group in Brussels, which brings together Conad, Rewe Group, Belgium Colruyt, and Coop Suisse, spoke on how to present a product and a business on foreign markets: “Being excellent craftsmen isn’t enough to succesfully sell; you must be excellent traders. This is the fundamental difference with the French. Even our wine industry suffers from dwarfism and business provincialism. We have stop perceiving exports as an expression of a balance, and we need to start shipping the product to the target country, going there ourselves to sell it. To do this, our companies need dimensions that allow them to organize themselves properly on the most important foreign markets.” (Red)
