BOLOGNA - In 2020 the Made in Italy mineral water market, a sector worth three billion, suffered a slowdown after a decade 2010-2019 that had seen exports double in value (+ 101%, only coffee did better ).
This was revealed by the Mineral Water Monitor, the Nomisma Observatory dedicated to the mineral water sector launched today in Bologna with the aim of helping companies and other operators to understand in depth and in real time the changes affecting the market, sector and consumer behavior both nationally and internationally.
With the pandemic, cross-border sales fell by 11%: a less marked decline than that experienced by France (-15%).
The distances from Paris have thus reduced to 111 million, compared to 211 million five years ago.
Compared to wine, the duel with the French over mineral waters sees an opposite dynamic: the average export price is higher for Italian waters (36 cents per liter) than for French ones (26 cents).
If all foreign countries - with the exception of the United States - have reduced overall imports, the situation is not the best on the domestic market either.
NielsenIQ data, Nomisma's partner in the Mineral Water Monitor Observatory, show in 2020 a stationary nature of retail sales in value (-0.2%) with a slight increase in volumes (+ 1.6%).
With Covid, sales of carbonated and slightly carbonated waters decrease (respectively -1.3% and -1.5% in volume), while Italian purchases of still water (+ 1.8%) and above all sparkling water are growing natural (+ 5.0%), which represent the only category to record an increase in sales also in value: + 5.6%.
With the lockdown, online sales almost doubled (+ 93% in value).