The collective catering market - Italy (2024)

1.2 The global and European market

In ****, the global foodservice market reached a value of $***.* billion. With a compound annual growth rate of *.** percent for the next six years, the value could rise to $***.* billion in ****.

Catering market World, ****-****, billion dollars Imarcgroup In order to delve deeper into the global contract catering market, the market related to school catering, framed as one of the most important subcategories of contract catering, is analyzed.In ****, the global school cafeteria market is valued at $**.** billion. Between **** and ****, it is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of *.* percent with a market value of $**.** billion in ****. School cafeteria market World, ****-****, billion dollars Enterpriseappstoday European market:

The European foodservice market was valued at $**.** billion in **** and is expected to reach $**.** billion by ****, growing at a compound annual growth rate (***) of *.** percent during the forecast period.

European foodservice market Europe, ****-****, € million European growth is driven by a number of key factors: Collaboration between caterers and event and exhibition providers has increased demand for customized food offerings. The popularity of fresh food subscriptions reflects a trend toward healthier and more convenient food choices, while digitization is transforming access to and management of catering services. A growing focus on wellness, especially ...

1.3 The Italian market

The value of the Italian foodservice market shows steady growth from **** to **** with a compound annual growth rate (***) of *.**%. Starting from *.** billion euros in ****, it is expected to reach *.** billion euros in ****. This represents a total increase of **% over the period analyzed. Italian Catering Market Value Italy, ****-****, in billion € Company Register, IbisWorld, Businesscoot elaboration

For the analysis of the Italian foodservice market, the turnover of the sector is considered. Between **** and ****, data show a very positive trend for collective catering turnover (***), with growth in * years approaching * billion euros. However, the outbreak of the pandemic in **** and the consequent school and office closures generated heavy repercussions on the sector. Between **** and ****, the contraction in revenue stood at **.* percent, or *.** billion euros. In the next two years, the sector began to recover, reaching *.** billion in ****, marking a **.* percent increase over ****, but still remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Overall, **** turnover is *.*% lower than in ****.

Evolution of canteen and continuous catering turnover on a contract basis Italy, ****-****, millions of euros Source: ****

Sales revenue data show a recovery in contract catering after ****. In the two years following the pandemic, total revenues grew by **.* percent, mainly due to the resumption of office work and the full ...

1.4 The consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict

The outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in February **** has led to, among other things, a general increase in the consumer price index. The foodservice industry is not exempt from this increase although the price increases mainly affect corporate catering. In fact, In May ****, the index was at ***.* and, after some minor fluctuations, reached ***.* in October ****. Thereafter, the increase became more pronounced, reaching ***.* in May ****. Overall, the index increased by *.* percent from May **** to May ****, showing an inflationary trend that accelerated in the last period.

Canteen Consumer Price Index Italy, ****-****, in euros Istat

The increase described earlier is mainly explained by the increase in prices of company canteens. The consumer price index for company canteens in Italy, with base ****=***, has shown an upward trend. In May ****, the index was at ***.*, gradually increasing to reach ***.* by December ****. In ****, it continued to rise, rising from ***.* in January to ***.* in August, with a particularly significant increase between January and March. In ****, the index continued to rise, reaching ***.* in April. Overall, the index increased by *.* percent from May **** to April ****. Business canteen consumer price index Italy, ****-****, base ****=*** Istat The increase in consumer prices is nothing but a reflection of the increase in producer prices ...

2.1 Demand in Italy

To provide a general overview of the demand for mass catering in Italy, household spending on canteens is first analyzed. The average household expenditure has decreased overall. In ****, it was *.** euros, but it dropped to *.** euros in ****, a reduction of **.* percent. In ****, due to the pandemic, spending dropped further to *.** euros, registering a **% decrease. In **** it dropped again to *.** euros. However, in **** there was a partial recovery, with spending rising again to *.** euros, marking a ** percent increase over ****, but still remaining **.* percent lower than in ****. Average household expenditure item for canteens Italy, ****-****, in current &euro Istat By analyzing the turnover of the canteen sector, it is then possible to outline which sectors experience the greatest concentration of demand. School and university canteens contribute about */* of the total turnover (***) and businesses at **.* percent. Finally, mass catering for other communities occupies a demand segment of *.* percent of the total.

Breakdown of sales by division Italy, ****, % Source: ****

2.2 Different factors influence demand

The aging population

In ****, **.* percent of Italian families say they are willing to consider a care facility as a solution for their loved ones who are no longer self-sufficient. The progressive aging of the Italian population is therefore one of the main factors that may drive the demand for collective catering, a solution widely used within residential care facilities. Between **** and ****, the over-** population in Italy is expected to grow by **.* percent.

Evolution of the elderly population Italy, ****-****, thousands of people Source: ****

The growth of the elderly population and forecasts showing a positive trend in this regard are reflected in a growth of facilities dedicated to nursing and residential care for the elderly.

Nursing care facilities for the elderly grew from *** in **** to **** in ****, an increase of ***.* percent. However, from **** to ****, the number decreased by **.*% to ****.

Residential care facilities for the elderly and disabled increased from **** in **** to **** in ****, followed by a decrease to **** in ****. Thereafter, the number grew to **** in ****, marking an increase of **.* percent over **** and *.* percent over ****.

Evolution of the presence of care facilities Italies, ****-****, number of active enterprises Source: ****

Education as a reserve for growth

Another key determinant of demand for institutional care facilities is ...

2.3 New demand trends

Demand trends in foodservice are constantly evolving, as is the commercial foodservice sector. In particular, some of the main trends are:

The growing preference for sustainable products: consumers are increasingly inclined to consume products with an environmentally and ethically sustainable supply chain. Mass catering is called upon to adapt its skills and professionalism to the new healthier and more sustainable food models, contributing to their spread Seasonality: it is possible to notice an increased interest in the seasonality of products by avoiding imported or out-of-season products. Healthy diet: there is a growing demand for healthy menus, especially in schools, where parents expect for their daughters and sons a healthy diet that meets their nutritional needs. Ethnic food: Especially in corporate cafeterias, there is a growing demand for ethnic food. Different reasons include the desire to vary the diet and the desire to vary the menu, which is considered excessively static from a culinary point of view

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2.4 Geographical distribution of demand

In order to visualize the geographic distribution of demand, a map was created with the monthly household expenditure on communal food services.

The distribution of spending across the territory is extremely uneven. The Northwest presents the highest monthly expenditure, with *.** euros spent on average by households. It is followed by the Northeast with *.** euros spent monthly on average. In the Center, average monthly spending stands at *.** euros on average, while going down to the South the territorial difference becomes evident. On the Islands and in the South, average monthly household spending is *.** euros and * euro, respectively.

2.5 Trends in demand for catering and canteens

Trends in catering and canteen searches in Italy from June **** to June **** show different trends for the two services. Catering searches ranged from a low of **.* in February **** to a high of **.* in June ****, with an overall increase of * percent from June **** (***).

Canteen searches showed greater variability, with a significant peak in September **** (***) and a marked decline in subsequent months. The value dropped from **.* in June **** to **.* in June ****, registering an overall decrease of *.* percent.

Overall, catering searches remained relatively stable, while canteen searches fluctuated more widely, with a general downward trend from the initial peaks.

Trend in catering and canteen searches Italy, ****-****, index Google Trends, Businesscoot processing

Values are calculated on a scale of * to ***, where *** indicates the location with the highest search frequency as a proportion of total searches in that location, and a value of ** indicates a location with half as many searches. A value of *, on the other hand, indicates a location for which insufficient data were collected.

Regarding catering:

3.1 The market structure

In order to analyze the contract catering market, enterprises under Ateco code **.** "Canteens and continuous catering on a contract basis" are considered. In particular, the number of active enterprises, the number of employees and the legal form of enterprises are analyzed.

Number of enterprises

The number of catering and canteen enterprises in Italy has shown a steady decrease from **** to ****. In **** there were ****, while in **** it dropped to ****, registering a **% reduction. It was particularly marked between **** and ****, with a decline of **, reflecting the impact of the COVID-** pandemic. In subsequent years, the decline continued but at a slower pace.

Number of catering and canteen enterprises Italy, ****-****, in number Istat

Employees

In ****, there were ***.* thousand employees, slightly increased to ***.* thousand in ****, and then remained almost stable until **** with ***.*. In ****, the number dropped to ***.* thousand. In ****, the number of employees rose again to ***.* thousand, but in **** it dropped again to ***.*, marking an overall reduction of *.* percent compared to ****.

Canteens and continuous catering employees Italy, ****-****, in thousands Istat

Legal form

Lastly, in ****, the majority of canteen and continuous catering businesses in Italy were limited liability companies, accounting for **.** percent of the total. Sole proprietors, freelancers and the self-employed made up **.** percent, while ...

3.2 The value chain

3.3 Distribution

Mass catering service can be divided into two categories based on the process of meal distribution. The two types of systems are:

Conventional system: meals are prepared and cooked in the same facility where they will later be distributed. Each kitchen thus works independently of the others as the entire preparation takes place in-house. On-site cooking can often allow for greater flexibility in menu development and faster response to changes in demand, resulting in less food waste. Deferred system: preparation takes place at large production centers called "central kitchens." Then, meals are transported to the distribution location where they are cooked and served to the community. Systems in which food is partially or fully prepared in a central kitchen and then transported to other food service locations are an emerging trend. Central kitchens can provide hot meals (***), pre-cooked refrigerated meals to be reheated for serving, or compose meals with pre-processed cold components to be cooked on site.

Although centralized kitchens can save on labor costs by allowing the caterer to employ fewer professionals in on-site kitchens, there are generally additional transportation costs. The conventional system lowers transportation costs compared, however, it requires more labor within the kitchens in addition to the ...

3.4 The main actors

Foreign

Sodexo: Founded in **** in Marseille, Sodexo is the world's number one food service and business services company. The company is present in ** countries around the world and serves more than *** million customers every day. In the catering business, it is active in the corporate, public administration and education sectors. The catering business focuses on using sustainable products, limiting food waste and supporting local production.

Elior: founded in ****, is now a world leader in the foodservice industry with more than * million meals delivered every day. The company offers a range of customized solutions and innovative catering concepts in the education, healthcare and corporate sectors. A focus on sustainability and healthy food needs is at the heart of the company's daily operations.

Compass Group: for more than ** years, the company has been committed to providing meals for schools, offices and care facilities. The products used respect seasonality and the kilometer-zero philosophy, coming mostly from local producers. The offering tries to be as varied as possible so that it can accommodate the demands and tastes of all customers. Compass was among the first companies to offer the possibility of ordering in advance their own meal tailored to the tastes and needs of the ...

4.1 Supply analysis

The price index for consumer canteens in Italy shows a steady increase from **** to ****. Starting from ***.* in ****, the index reaches ***.* in ****, representing a growth of *.* percent over the period. The annual increase is smooth, indicating a steady increase in prices for canteens, with the most pronounced growth between **** and ****.

Price index for consumer canteens for the entire community (***) - annual averages Italy, ****-****, index Istat

Community food service consists of preparing and delivering a large number of complete meals intended for a community. There can be many reasons for people to use these services, such as the need to have complete and healthy meals in a working environment, lack of time to prepare meals at home, or being away from home for study, work or other reasons. Current food trends, any allergies and/or intolerances of customers, customers with special dietary needs (***)

Mass catering differs markedly from commercial catering. The main points of difference are:

The type and number of customers: mass catering offers its service to a generally larger audience than commercial catering. The reasons for exploiting the service: mass catering is a service of necessity. The price: the price to the end user is lower in mass catering. Who ...

4.2 The prices

Regarding prices, rates related to corporate catering are highly variable since it is the company itself that enters into the contract with the caterer and decides how much of the price to charge. For nursing facilities, prices are often included within the monthly or daily fee. In contrast, for school catering, data are available on the cost incurred by the end consumer (***) for the individual meal, monthly fee, and annual fee. Below are the average prices at preschool and elementary school cafeterias during the ****/**** school year.

Preschools

Primary schools

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4.3 New supply trends

The foodservice industry's offerings are constantly evolving not only in order to attract new customers but to ensure better service and meal quality. The following are the main trends in the offerings:

Entico street food: some companies active in the sector have launched several ethnic cuisine projects in response to the demand for more appetizing and varied food.(***) Sustainable offerings: in recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on healthy and sustainable foods. This has included the inclusion of organic and local products on menus nonochè an increasing focus on reducing food waste.(***) Personalization: through apps for smartphones and tablets is made diponibile the possibility for all users to inquire about the day's proposals, choose their favorite dish and pay for it without moving from the desk. In addition, it is possible to leave comments and suggestions expressing one's opinion.(***) Expansion of offerings: also by virtue of state directives, mass catering is expanding the variety of its menus both on a daily level and in weekly programming.(***)

5.1 The legislation

The sector is subject to various regulations both at the national and European level. There are regulations applicable to food hygiene and safety . The European Union has adopted several pieces of legislation aimed at establishing a single and transparent food hygiene policy :

regulation ***/**** establishes the basic principles (***) and defines specific obligations for professionals regulation ***/**** concerns a preventive approach to food safety risks at the various stages of product manufacture. regulation ***/**** sets strict standards for food of animal origin. regulation ****/**** concerns microbiological criteria for food products.

In Italy, food safety is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. Italian food safety regulations transpose the standards set by the corresponding European regulations. There are also applicable standards on food labeling. European Regulation No. ****/**** distinguishes between mandatory information for prepackaged food products and mandatory information for non-prepackaged food products. Law ***/****, also known as the Gadda Law, deals with food waste. It aims to reduce waste at every stage of production, processing, distribution, and serving of food, pharmaceutical, and other products by promoting recycling and donation.

6.1 Positioning of actors

• Elior Ristorazione S.p.a
• CIRFood (Cooperativa Italiana di Ristorazione)
• CAMST (Cooperativa Albergo Mensa Spettacolo e Turismo)
• Compass Group Italia
• Sodexo France
• Ladisa
• Serenissima Ristorazione
• Gruppo Pellegrini
• Vivenda s.p.a