The latest ‘IRI Markets Dashboard - FMCG in Western Europe report’ – which reviews the FMCG trends to watch across European countries within a COVID-19 context, alongside the implications for the industry and recommendations – has revealed numerous key food & beverage industry related trends across the region.

Key F&B segment findings from the report

1. After unprecedented value sales growth (+9%) due to panic stockpiling, FMCG demand remains high in the region (+4%) with the Netherlands leading the way, while Italy has slowed down. Food value sales outperform non-food. 

2. Despite the holiday season, social distancing and the economic crisis are not helping out-of-home (OOH) consumption, which has not returned to pre-COVID levels. The fall of OOH consumption is an opportunity for FMCG retailers. In France, for example, IRI estimates the loss of OOH at €9.1 billion for the first semester, with €4.1 billion transferred to FMCG retailers. 

3. Online growth remains high. In Italy, it is forecast to reach 4% share by the end of 2021 and 7.7% in France by the end of this year.

4. Discounter and supermarket performance is back to normal. Discounters are expected to accelerate their growth as savvy shoppers push demand for value, price and proximity, while supermarkets are using promotions to bring shoppers back in-store.

5. Food and drink price inflation has accelerated since the beginning of the pandemic (+5%+) as promotional intensity dropped during lockdown (-6%+). With promotions coming back in the region (+5%+ for the past four weeks) to provide shoppers with best price options, deflation is expected – and is already the case in France at -0.26% (in July).

Providing a pan-European view

Using IRI’s data sources and technology, the report advises brands and retailers on how to handle consumer demand, promotion, pricing, assortment, brands vs. private label, and channels to meet the changing needs of shoppers and plan for the future. Providing a pan-European view, the report is broken down by country, with data and charts for individual countries, including the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Spain and the UK.

The latest September report (data from 26 July-2 August) is available here:

https://www.iriworldwide.com/IRI/media/IRI-Clients/International/EU-DASHBOARD_11092020.pdf