POLISH FMCG MARKET SUMMARY
Robert Kabot,
Head of Assortment Management Department of MV POLAND 2017 was a stable year for the entire vodka category. Within individual price segments, one could only notice slight changes of shares, but the main brands and manufacturers remained at their unchanged positions. Our flagship brand, Stumbras Centenary, dug in on the second position in the Top Premium segment, recording a double-digit volume growth in relation to the previous year. The first consumer promotion for this brand has shown there are still immense opportunities in the Stumbras brand. Consumers highly appreciate the quality and originality of this spirit. There has been further development of the sweet spirits segment with an alcohol volume of approx. 30%, serving as a substitute for vodka, although consumers started to pay more attention to the strength of the beverage they drink. More dry flavoured vodkas have also appeared. Small-volume bottles (100 ml and 200 ml) remain a significant percentage of the sales volume all the time. Among industry events, for the first time in history, we had the Vodka and Snack Festival, at which all of the main manufacturers presented their products to consumers. I wish you all the best in 2018!
Tomasz Kandefer,
President of the Board Italmex Warszawa For the FMCG sector, the end of every year is both a period of intense work before the holidays and a time for the first annual summaries. For Italmex, 2017 was a special year, being our jubilee. Consequently, the entire 25 years of propagation of the Mediterranean diet on the Polish market should be summed up. The products offered by Italmex – olive oils of the Italian brands Costa d’Oro and Basso, Italian Divella, Corticella and Baronia pasta, or Spanish Jolca olives are just a few of the wide range of products the Poles have been able to put on their tables for many, many years. Some of the brands we distribute have been present in Poland for more than 20 years, thanks to which, consumers have gained trust and have established a special bond with them. Each year, we expand our portfolio with new interesting products, coming mainly from the Mediterranean region. In 2004, we introduced the first Far Eastern rice oil. This was a true innovation. Year by year, there are more and more satisfied consumers of this oil, and we try to satisfy the customers with new interesting ideas. Such an innovative idea is the SoRiso line of flavoured rice oils. To meet the market demand and the growing fashion for health-promotion and BIO products, we have also expanded our offer with these goods. We wish our customers to have a healthy Christmas with their families and to continue making new culinary and taste discoveries.
Marcin Grabowski Sales Director Velvet Care
2017 was a special year for Velvet Care; a year of two important jubilees. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Velvet brand and the 120th anniversary of the establishment of our plant in Klucze. We could not have imagined a better celebration than the results we have reached in 2017! Traditionally, this was not simple, since the Polish market in our categories is characterized by very high competitiveness; however, owing to appropriate strategy, constant building of various pillars of business, and effective support, we have achieved significant growth again, exceeding 30%. The heart of our company has invariably been Velvet – the first brand to have provided the Poles with soft cellulose products in all hygiene categories, 20 years ago. Last year, we invited our consumers for a joint celebration of the Velvet brand jubilee through participation in a birthday lottery (with a family car as the main prize) as well as many competitions dedicated to customers of individual trade chains. These activities brought us a 10% growth and reinforcement of our position as brand leader on the paper hygiene market. The next foundation of growth was the development of our position in private labels. Since the moment of establishment of Velvet Care, we have treated the private label market as an opportunity for development, rather than a threat. This strategy works and it has helped us double our sales of private labels last year. We are also successively developing export sales; last year, this brought us an increase by 25%. The last pillar of growth is our youngest child – professional products and Velvet Care Professional. This brand was introduced in 2016 and, as befits a young category, it records immense growth; we are consistently building a position of a firm player in this segment as well.
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