Summary of our market study

The French jam market is estimated at around 400 million euros.

The broader spread market, which includes honey, spreads and jam, is worth around 800 million euros.

Premium jams account for 29% of the market by value and 19% by volume. Organic jam has reached a market share of 12% in value and 8% in volume. French consumers prefer local, artisanal products. 35% of them make jam at home.

Jam prices are influenced by the cost of raw materials, such as fruit and sugar, which fluctuate widely

Two key trends are at the heart of the market's evolution: the reduction in the sugar content of jams, and the rise of organic products.

70% of French households buy jam around seven times a year, representing an annual consumption of 3 to 4 kilograms per household. Children eat jam around four times a week, mainly at snack time, while people over 50 enjoy sweet snacks throughout the day.

Sweet snacks account for over 60% of afternoon snacks and 77% of evening snacks.

The number of jam consumers fell from 22 to 24 million in 2014 to 21 to 23 million. In the space of six years, the proportion of children and adults who skip breakfast at least once a week has risen from 13% to 29% and 14% to 21% respectively.

French producers are the EU's third largest fruit and vegetable growers. 15% of fruit production goes to the processing and jam industries.

Leading brands include Bonne Maman, which accounted for 35% of the market, and Andros.

French jam producers

  • Andros and Materne,
  • Andrésy Jams
  • Lucien Georgelin
  • Valade Group
  • Les Vergers de Chateaubourg
  • St Dalfour
  • Francis Miot, an artisanal brand
  • Favols
  • La Chambre aux Confitures
  • La Cour d'Orgères
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Summary and extracts

1 Market overview

1.1 Presentation and definition of the market

Jam may be a simple product, but it remains an essential product found in almost all French households. Made of sugar and fruit, the jam can be produced both industrially and in an artisanal way.

On this very mature market, as a result, incumbent players are striving to maintain their market shares based on products that don't vary much.

In order to stand out, however, two recent trends have emerged:

  • At the product level we observe the decrease in the amount of sugar and the emergence of organic products.
  • In terms of packaging, the actors are committed to seducing consumers through consistent quality and innovative packaging (smaller jars to test several flavors, etc.).

The DGCCRF (Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes) defines jam as "the mixture, brought to the appropriate gel-like consistency, of sugars, pulp and/or puree of one or more species of fruit and water. "

1.2 Key figures of the world market

The global market for jams, jellies and marmalade is expected to reach *.* billion by **** and growth forecasts indicate a CAGR of between *,*% (***).

Imports and exports

Over the period ****-****, the main importing countries for jams and jellies were Germany and the United States, both to the tune of *.* billion dollars over the period.

As far as exports are concerned, France is in the lead with a total amount of exports amounting to $*.* billion over the period, followed by Turkey (***).

Main exporting countries World, ****-**** cumulative, $ billion Source: ****

Main importing countries World, ****-**** cumulative, $ billion Source: ****

1.3 Key figures for the French market

Jam represents a small market in France since according to LSA (***).

Jams are part of the wider spreads market (***). 

Jam market in value France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source LSA  Jam market in volume France, ****-****, in tonnes Source LSA Among the reasons put forward to justify the weak upward outlook, we can cite the desire of the French to consume "healthier" products and a change in lifestyle that is upsetting the products associated with breakfast.

1.4 Commerce extérieur de la France

En ****, les importations françaises de confitures, gelées et marmelades s’élevaient à ***,* millions de dollars, alors que les exportations atteignaient ***,* millions de dollars (***).

Ainsi, la France est largement exportatrice de confitures, avec un taux de couverture atteignant ***,*% en ****. La balance commerciale de la France sur ce produit est même de plus en plus excédentaire sur la période : en effet, le taux de couverture en **** était de ***,*%. (***) La France importe principalement de l'Italie et des Pays-Bas, et exporte énormément à destination des Etats-Unis, puis de ses voisins européens comme le Royaume-Uni, la Belgique et l'Allemagne. 

Importations et exportations de confitures, gelées, marmelades France, ****-****, en millions de $ Source: ****

  Principaux fournisseurs de la France sur le marché de la confiture France, ****, en millions de dollars Source: ****

  Principaux clients de la France sur le marché de la confiture France, ****, en millions de dollars Source : UN Comtrade  

2 Analysis of the demand

2.1 The French are attached to their land

The Kantar data below gives the interest in local products, by country in ****. Thus we can see that among the countries surveyed, france is the country in which interest in this type of product is most widely shared among the population. * out of * French people indeed say they are interested in these products. In comparison, this proportion is less than **% in the UK and Germany.

Interest in local products Europe, ****, as % of population Source Kantar This trend is even stronger among young people aged ** to **, for whom authenticity and local origin are central criteria for choosing the origin of food. Indeed, **% of respondents agree with the following statement: "There is nothing better than authentic, local products".

Origin and provenance of food France, ****, as % of population **-** Source: ****

2.2 Who are the consumers of jam?

The Kantar data below shows how often the French had a sugary snack per week in ****, by age. Overall, two types of profiles can be distinguished:

Children, who mainly consume at snack time, nearly * times a week. People over ** years old, who generally consume throughout the day (***).

Frequency of consumption of sweet snacks France, ****, in times per week Source Kantar Moreover, each moment of the day corresponds to a specific consumption pattern.

The majority of sweet snacks are consumed for pleasure or temptation (***). The shift towards local and organic products should not be at the expense of pleasure, taste, well-being and convenience.

Conversely, health and speed issues apply most to the morning snacks (***).

  Reasons for consuming sweetened snacks France, ****, in % Source: ****

2.3 New lifestyles change jam consumption

New dietary concerns have disrupted the consumption of sweet products, and in particular jam. Indeed, if in **** **.* million French people said they consumed jam, this figure had fallen to **.* million in ****. The number of jam consumers has thus fallen by **% over the period.

This decrease is visible on all the consumption frequencies retained on the data [***] below: both regular and occasional consumption have decreased. In ****, nearly ** million French people said they consumed jam regularly or very regularly (***).

Decline in consumption of jams France, ****-****, in millions of consumers Source: ****

  Frequency of consumption of jam France, ****-****, in millions of consumers Source Kantar This structural decline can be explained by a broader trend in French nutrition, which includes eating less and less breakfast.

Indeed, in ****, **% of children and **% of adults skipped at least one breakfast per week, compared to **% and **% respectively six years earlier. Conversely, only **% of children and **% of adults said they eat a full breakfast, compared to **% and **% respectively in ****. Breakfast is a less and less complete meal, most often consisting of a drink or a quick snack.

Individuals skipping at least * breakfast per week France, ****-****, as % of population Source: ****

Individuals eating a full breakfast France, ****-****, as ...

2.4 Competition from home-made products

Evolution of the interest in the "jam" search France, ****-****, Google index Source Google trends The graph above represents the proportion of searches for the keyword jam in France over the last five years, compared to the time when the use of this keyword was highest (***).

Over the last five years, we have observed a strong seasonality of the "jam" search, coinciding with the fruit harvest periods and therefore the periods of the year when consumers make their jam at home. The associated keywords confirm that searches are indeed very much about jam recipes at this time of year.

This is indeed confirmed by the following data provided by Harris Interactive which are the result of a survey conducted by the European Commission, indicating that **% of French people make their own jams, in third position after soups and the cultivation of herbs.

Percentage of French people who eat homemade food France, ****, as % of population Source: ****

3 Market structure

3.1 Forces at work

Many players are involved in the jam market, from production to distribution.

Agricultural producers

According to FranceAgriMer, the french producers are particularly present on the European market since, after Italy and Spain, France is the *rd largest producer of fruit and vegetables in the European Union. In volume, *.* million tonnes of fruit were produced in **** while the **** agricultural census counted **,*** fruit producers (***).

Of this total, **% of fruit production (***).

The actors involved in the transformation

In order to ensure the transformation of the raw product to the finished product, multiple stages are implemented:

Product storage; Processing workshop (***); Storage and packaging of finished products.

The industrial production of jam involves the boiling of fresh fruit (***) mixed with sugar, the sugar content being precisely controlled to comply with regulations. Then, the preparation is pasteurized, then packaged, with a hot filling. Citric acid may be added to extend the shelf life of the product.

Intermediaries and distribution

At this stage, we have the central purchasing agencies and traders, which are the companies responsible for purchasing the necessary quantities before they reach the supermarket or catering industry.

3.2 Two types of players with opposing distribution methods coexist in the market

Many players share the market in France today.

- Some very large groups that dominate: the products are mainly intended for the food industry and mass distribution.

- Smaller players who sell their products via mass distribution and who are therefore faced with a very unfavorable balance of power.

At the same time, independent actors (***) manage to make a place for themselves thanks to artisanal positioning The company's products are made in France and are distributed to delicatessens, small retail outlets, markets, hotels and restaurants. For both types of actors, production remains centered in France.

3.3 The main brands of jam in France

In the retail sector, the major national brands for the jam sector are Bonne Maman and Andros for the year ****. Bonne Maman thus represents **% of the market turnover. (***).

Brands of jams, honey and spreads France, ****-****, in thousands of consumers Source: ****

The market is largely dominated by Bonne Maman and the various private labels, which together account for almost **% of the market in volume.

Bonne Maman's competitors, such as Andros, Lucien Georgelin and Confipote (***), are far behind the leader with market shares in volume of less than **%

Source: ****

3.4 Good export performance with quality positioning

The Bonne Maman brand controls the jam market in France and also exports a lot abroad with **% of its annual production for foreign markets. The brand plays on a quality image and is present in most major retailers such as Wal-Mart in the United States and Tesco in the United Kingdom, while also having a foothold in high-end hotels outside France.

Another brand has managed to develop its export business: La Chambre aux Confitures. Founded in ****, the brand already has * shops in France, but also in Japan, Iceland, Norway, Australia and the Ivory Coast. The company has chosen a high-end positioning by delivering palaces (***) with products such as "Raspberry with Champagne"  while providing *** gram jars that are easy to carry.

Other companies, such as Confitures de Raphaël, base their development on the image of a family business that promotes a quality product. The company produces ** tons of jam each year and exports to the Middle East, Japan, Europe and North America.

4 Analysis of the offer

4.1 Overview of the offer

In the top * favorite jams of the French, we find strawberry, apricot and bitter orange (***)

The premium jam segment (***).

In ****, premium jams accounted for **% of the market in value and **% in volume (***) [***].

Price ranges

Prices start at less than one euro per kilo for a standard jam at the bottom of the range, private label, with a fruit content of between **% and **%, sold in supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Prices are intermediate for a mid-range, branded jam with a fruit content of between **% and **%, sold in supermarkets. Finally, for a top-of-the-range, branded product, with at least **% fruit, sold in supermarkets or delicatessens, prices per kilo can exceed ** euros. The artisanal jams present higher prices than the industrial jams, as well as the organic jams compared to the conventional jams.

On average, the price of a jar of jam in supermarkets is between *.**€ and *€, while the average production price of a jar is between *.**€ and *.**€ [***].

Changes by product type between **** and ****   

Source: ****

4.2 Commodity prices: two opposing movements

The price of jams is directly linked to the price of raw materials: fruit and sugar. If the price of fruits is in strong increase, the price of sugar has collapsed over the last * years.

Fruit: large variations but a short-term increase

Of the fruits studied, only apples have seen their price decrease over the past year. Peaches, nectarines, pears, cherries and strawberries have all seen price increases of over **% per kilo.

Source: ****

Sugar: a collapse in prices

After a peak observed in mid-****, the price of sugar has fallen by more than **% in * years, from $***.*/ton on **/**/**** to $***/ton on **/**/**** (***).

One of the reasons for this fall is the end of the quota system that governed the European sugar sector, which ended on * October ****. This collapse in prices impacts on the sector's manufacturers but could benefit jam producers who see the price of one of the preparation elements fall. Since ****, there has been a peak in January ****, followed by fluctuations leading to a further rise in prices , around $***/tonne in July ****.

Sugar prices over the last * years France, ****-****, price in $ per ton Fuente Invest Les Echos

5 Regulation

5.1 Regulations in force

According to the DGCCRF, Decree No. **-*** of ** August **** implementing the law of * August **** on fraud and falsification in relation to products or services gives a precise definition of fruit jams, jellies and marmalades, chestnut creams and other similar products (***)

In addition to the ingredients and the total sugar content, the various designations (***) are strictly regulated, as are labelling products.

The various existing labels can guide the consumer's choice

Label rouge : The Label Rouge is a national sign that designates products which, due to their production or manufacturing conditions, have a higher quality level than other similar products usually marketed.

The Protected Designation of Origin (***), the product says where it comes from: its name is that of a place emblematic of its territory of origin.

The Protected Geographical Indication (***) testifies to a universe and consecrates a know-how anchored in a territory. The stages of its development that give it its specificity are carried out in its territory and described precisely in a set of specifications.

Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (***) certifies that a food product has been produced according to a traditional production method, recipe or composition.

Organic Agriculture : Products identified by the Organic Agriculture logo guarantee that they are produced in an ...

6 Positioning of the actors

6.1 Segmentation of actors

  • Andros Groupe
  • Materne (Bel groupe)
  • Andrésy Confitures
  • Delvert
  • Lucien Georgelin
  • Valade Groupe
  • Les Vergers de Chateaubourg (Lactalis)
  • St. Dalfour
  • Francis Miot
  • Favols
  • La Chambre aux Confitures
  • La cours d'Orgères
  • St Mamet Distribution (Intermarché ITM)
  • Beyer
  • AGRO'NOVAE
  • Servair
  • Acna (Servair Groupe)
  • Servair

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