Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/480793
THE SPECIALTY FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN: IMPORTERS Mediterranean, Italian, Latin, and Spanish are the top cuisines importers say are emerging in 2015 DOLLAR SALES CHANGE IN THE PAST YEAR 2014 Up 30% or more 14 Up 20–29% 21 Up 10–19% 25 Up 1–9% 21 Unchanged 7 Down 1–9% 11 Down 10–19% 0 Down 20–29% 0 Down 30% or more 0 % Mean Annual Sales: $2,137,500 Mean Number of Source Countries: 3 Seeking to Expand Specialty Food Oferings: 61% Mean # SKUs: 181 FAST FACTS "Distributors don't want to take on a product without sales already in place. Chefs love the products but don't want to take them on without distributors in place." "The cost of getting any brand in natural and specialty on the shelf in multi-store chains. Small food purveyors cannot afford the chargebacks, the required ads, demos, and promotions, let alone the steep chargebacks imposed by distributors. It just homogenizes the available choices for the consumer." "Retailers expecting specialty food manufacturers to have the same amount of marketing funds as the mainstream brands." "The lack of information and poor communication between the different levels of the distribution supply chain." IMPORTERS ON: TOP NATURAL AND ETHICAL CLAIMS Today: Organic Slowest: Convenience Stores 2014 CHANNEL GROWTH Fastest: Specialty Food Stores Most importers reported modest sales gains of 1 to 19 percent. On average, they sourced products from three countries in 2014: By continent, Europe was the most frequent source at 82 percent, followed distantly by South America (18 percent), Asia (14 percent), and North America (14 percent). Online sales are heating up for importers, with 21 percent saying it's their fastest- growing channel. Direct to retail now tops importers' sales share by channel, pointing to a possible shift in the way these companies are opting to do business. Importers say local will be a claim of growing importance to consumers in the coming years, a trend that is cause for concern among some who believe the movement is driving people to purchase fewer imported goods. Importers cite that local focus and currency fluctuations as among the biggest threats to their business. ALMOND butter A L ALMOND butter A L Source: Mintel Note: numbers may not add to 100 due to rounding In 3 years: non-GMO IN THEIR OWN WORDS What is your biggest gripe about the specialty food industry? 6A ❘ THE STATE OF THE SPECIALTY FOOD INDUSTRY