The barbecue and plancha market - France (2024)

1.2 The United States, undisputed leader in barbecue

In ****, North America accounted for **% of the global barbecue sales market, which was estimated at $*.** billion[***]

Sales of barbecues World, ****-*****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

Sales of barbecues are expected to grow at a CAGR (***) of *.**% per year between now and ****, thanks to a higher average equipment rate worldwide, and a higher average cost per barbecue. [***]

In particular, the gas barbecue segment represented sales of $* billion in ****, showing the predominance of gas over other segments of the barbecue sector. But the electric segment is expected to come out on top in the end, with an estimated CAGR of *.*% to ****.

The ...

1.3 A growing French market

In France, sales of gas and charcoal barbecues and planchas (***) explode. [***]

Growth in sales of charcoal and gas barbecues and planchas France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

Since ****, sales of charcoal and gas barbecues and planchas have risen sharply, demonstrating a real craze for this product among the French. In particular, the diversification of the range, with planchas in particular, has made it possible to satisfy a growing number of customers, with more expensive products too. Sales of electric barbecues and planchas have also contributed to the growth of the total barbecue segment, accounting for around **% of the market[***].

Breakdown ...

1.4 Consumption mainly imported

A significant proportion of barbecue manufacturing is outsourced, for cost-cutting reasons. Data provided by French customs and UN Comtrade in ****, show that France imported $*** million worth of cooking appliances (***). These figures exclude electric barbecues, which account for less than **% of market value. The data analyzed are grouped under HS code *****: "Cooking appliances and plate warmers for gas or gas-fired and other fuels", which includes barbecues and other types of grill.

Imports of cooking appliances by country France, ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

Unsurprisingly, China is the leading country from which France imports cooking appliances, accounting for almost **% of imports by value. ...

1.5 The impact of Covid-19 on the barbecue market

The clear trend following the outbreak of the Covid-** pandemic and the various confinements that were implemented is for strong growth in the barbecue segment in France. Frustrated by being cooped up at home, it would seem that the French took advantage of the end of the confinements to invest massively in barbecues, according to LSA Conso. However, the major players in the sector were not at all serene about the future of their business.

This was the situation declared by Campingaz, whose sales in March and April **** were down **% and **% respectively on ****.

But the Weber Group's Marketing Director for France, ...

2.1 Growing demand in volume and value

Some regions are particularly fond of barbecuing, such as Pays de la Loire (***), thanks to mild weather and a high proportion of homes that make it easy to cook a barbecue in the garden. [***]

Responses to the question "How many barbecues do you do a year?" France, ****, in % Source: ****

With an average of ** times a year, France is well placed in terms of barbecuing frequency, ahead ofGermany, but on a par with Poland. However, there are wide disparities within the population, due to very different habits, as well as the constraints posed by barbecuing (***).

In particular, men are more fond of ...

2.2 A highly seasonal business

Barbecuing and plancha grilling are outdoor activities, practised mainly in a garden (***)[***].

Spring and summer are unsurprisingly France's favorite barbecuing seasons, and this is reflected in sales.

Barbecues by season France, ****, % of sales Source: ****

Only **% of French people cook in all seasons. **% of French people who don't barbecue all year round believe that bad weather prevents them from doing so (***). **% don't think about it because they see it as a summer activity. These figures will be confirmed in ****, with **% of French people using their barbecue in autumn, and **% in winter[***]

Evolution of interest for the search "Barbecue" on Google France, ****-****, ...

2.3 A trend towards planchas and premium products

Recent years have seen the emergence of the plancha segment and a more expensive segment of premium barbecues, which have driven growth in the industry.

Types of French barbecues and planchas France, ****, % (***) Source: ****

If ownership of certain equipment overlaps, a total of **% of French people own a barbecue, and **% of them own a barbecue or plancha. The plancha is therefore rarely purchased as a substitute for the barbecue. It does, however, constitute a very important market category, accounting for almost **% of the gas segment[***].

What's more, the concept of the barbecue has evolved: while the French are aware of the health ...

2.4 Changing buying habits

As eating habits change, so do barbecue purchases. While meat still dominates sales of barbecued foods, we are seeing the emergence of other types of food (***) and the arrival on the market of accessories for more elaborate recipes[***].

What do the French cook on the barbecue or plancha? France, ****, % Source: ****

The figures have changed slightly since ****, particularly when it comes to non-meat products: in ****, **% of barbecuers cooked fish and **% vegetables , compared with **% and **% respectively, in addition to meat. We also note that **% of barbecue users cooked vegetarian products using the barbecue in ****. [***]

These changes in habits are reflected in sales, and ...

2.5 Barbecue purchase disincentives

In addition, per capita meat consumption has fallen by an average of *.*% in France over the past ** years[***]. Such a fall could have an impact on the use of barbecues, which are still mainly used to cook meat, mainly beef.

**% of French people say they give up barbecues on vacation to limit their meat consumption, and **% of French people say they give them up occasionally[***]. The emergence of flexitarianism (***), and to get rid of the negative connotations of barbecuing.

Average annual meat consumption per capita France, **** - ****, in kg/capita Source: ****

While the average consumption of French people has not ...

2.6 France's favorite barbecue brands

The graph below is based on OpinionWay's survey of French consumers' favorite brands in March ****. For each brand, the percentage corresponds to the proportion of respondents who answered "yes".

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France's favorite barbecue brands France, March ****, in Source: ****

Weber and Campingaz are the French's favorite barbecue brands, with **.*% of respondents saying they liked Weber, while **.*% said they liked Campingaz. Big Green Egg is the least appreciated brand among the panel of proposed brands, with only *.*% of respondents saying they liked it. The relatively low approval ratings for Brasero, Le and Marquier can in part ...

3.1 Value chain

3.2 A market dominated by large players

The French market is dominated by players each with their own speciality, even if the trend in recent years has been towards diversification.

In ****, a site like Leroy Merlin will list ** brands of barbecues[***].

While market share figures are difficult to estimate, a handful of players corner the bulk of the market.

Weber, an American company originally specializing in charcoal (***)[***], with a rather upmarket positioning Sales of ** million euros in France by ****[***], which also includes accessories. Campingaz, a subsidiary of the American Coleman, is number * in France in terms of volume of gas barbecues and planchas[***] Sales of *** million euros in ...

3.2 Production mainly outsourced

Although few figures are published, it appears that the majority of barbecues sold in France are imported.

Somagic, for example, employs ** people in France, including design engineers, and *** in China. It manufactures its cast-iron barbecues in France, and its steel barbecues in China at its Somasia plant. **% of its business is generated internationally. [***]

Weber does not manufacture its barbecues in France, and therefore imports its products before selling them on French soil.

While Campingaz maintains part of its business in France, near Lyon, this mainly concerns its gas canisters[***]. Barbecue manufacturing is outsourced to Italy and China.

Some players, such as ...

3.4 Classic distribution channels

There are many different distribution channels for barbecues. In view of the growth rates of the various sales sectors (***) in ****, the majority of barbecues are still bought in food superstores and DIY superstores, which was already the case in ****[***]. Newcomers to the barbecue distribution market are garden centers, which are benefiting from the boom in garden design following the COVID-** crisis.

Even today, sales of barbecues are mainly made through traditional distribution networks.

Preferred places to buy a barbecue France, ****, in Source: ****

DIY stores take first place, with **% of sales.

In food superstores (***) have managed to take advantage of the current ...

4.1 Types of products sold

Barbecues and planchas fall into three different categories: charcoal, gas and electric. And planchas can be gas or electric.

Breakdown of sales volume by product France, ****, in Source: ****

while coal continues to dominate the market in terms of volume, gas dominates the market in terms of value, with over **% of the sector's sales.

Average prices for barbecues and planchas France, ****, in euros Source: ****

Gas barbecues are much more expensive than charcoal or electric ones, which compensates for their lower sales volume.

Recent years have seen the emergence of increasingly elaborate barbecues, corresponding to a premium trend in the sector.

These include ...

4.2 Customers who do little research before buying

A European Idealo survey shows that in ****, barbecue purchases were particularly spontaneous, following anticipated periods of sunshine. Indeed, it's around the particularly sunny periods of March or April that barbecue purchasing peaks are most frequent.

Even though sources of information have diversified: the emergence of barbecue influencers, specialized sites, tests, etc., barbecue vendors report that in ****, as in ****, purchases are still particularly spontaneous.

Barbecue buyers do relatively little research before they buy, which is an important factor for manufacturers and sellers to take into account. This is an important factor for manufacturers and sellers to take into account, since brand and ...

4.3 Benchmarking barbecue and plancha prices

Source: ****

Within each product category, there are major disparities. These differences may be due to product quality, baking sheet surface, cart, lid or accessories. Even within the same brand, you'll find very different models in terms of price. For Weber charcoal barbecues, for example, there are more than a dozen different products, ranging from €** to several hundred euros.

This strategy makes it possible to reach a very wide audience, and capture greater value than by having a single model. Some niche products are also available, such as built-in barbecues, ceramic barbecues and stone barbecues.

4.4 An increasingly diversified offering

Companies in the sector are seeking to increase their sales, by diversifying their offer in order both to find a new audience and to increase the average amount spent per customer. At Campingaz, complementary accessories account for **% of sales[***]

Which accessories do the French use? ****, France, in Source: ****

We can see that the complementary products offered by manufacturers are of great interest to barbecue owners. Apart from searing grids, all other accessories have not yet been purchased by half the interested population, with a peak for the pizza stone, which has not found more than **% of its potential audience.

The increasing ...

4.5 Development of new high-end offerings

While the barbecue is a well-established product in the French imagination, new high-end offerings seem to be developing.First and foremost is the emergence of professional or semi-professional gas barbecues for the home. In fact, these products are no longer only available in specialist stores, and have recently appeared on the shelves of garden centers and DIY stores. Their much higher price tag than standard gas barbecues doesn't seem to be stopping a growing number of consumers frominvesting in top-of-the-range gas barbecues costing between €*,*** and €*,***.

Plancha manufacturers are also positioning themselves in the high-end outdoor cooking market, with brands such as ...

5.1 Regulated manufacturing to ensure user safety

Solid-burning barbecues (***):

Appliances, solid fuels and firelighters for solid-burning barbecues must be approved by LNE or CTIF laboratories in accordance with European standards EN-****[***] :

Specifies requirements for solid-burning barbecues (***) Specifies requirements and test methods for charcoal and charcoal briquettes for barbecues Specifies safety, performance, packaging and marking requirements, as well as test methods, for firelighters used to ignite solid fuels for barbecues and grills. The standard covers solid, liquid, paste and gel firelighters. However, the use of highly flammable liquids (***) is specifically excluded from the scope of this standard, as their use as firelighters for barbecues is considered extremely hazardous Specifies, ...

5.2 Regulated use to ensure community comfort

Barbecuing can generate smoke, odors and (***) noise, all of which can be regulated at local level.

In the case of abusive use of the barbecue by a neighbor, it is possible to take legal action (***), by justifying the "abnormal disturbance of the neighborhood" with evidence[***].

It is also possible to regulate the activity:

By co-ownership, subdivision or rental regulations By municipal or prefectoral by-law

The nuisance caused by the smoke released by charcoal barbecues could lead to the strengthening of municipal by-laws banning the practice in densely populated areas, for reasons of public health.

For example, in Cherbourg, in October ****, an ...

6.1 Segmentation

• Weber Industries Groupe
• Campingaz
• Somagic
• Leroy Merlin France (Adeo)
• Eno Plancha
• Fyron Group
• Le Marquier
• Tramontina France
• Traeger
• Forge de l'Adour (SEB Groupe)
• Krampouz (SEB groupe)
• Barbecook
• Napoleon
• Big Green Egg
• Broil King
• Char Broil
• Plancha Tonio
• Cook'in Garden
• Alice's Garden (Walibuy)
• Simogas
• Outdoorchef (Diethelm Keller Group)
• Cuisinart
• Finoptim
• Lagrange Gaufre
• Bordet groupe
• Outdoor Chef