Distribuzione e Revenue

🍖 On November 20, 2024, an initiative showcased results of a project promoting the Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle breed, known for high-quality meat and sustainable farming, which started in 2020. Popular in Italy since the 1960s, particularly in Piedmont, this breed is appreciated for its tender meat and strict farming standards, certified by SQZN and guaranteed by the Italian Sigillo Consortium. The event included a visit to Società Agricola Villosio di Cardè and a gourmet lunch at Centro Congressi Monastero della Stella, featuring four dishes. This initiative is part of the "Blonde d'Aquitaine: European Beef Excellence" project (April 2023 - March 2026), co-funded by the EU. Asprocarne Piemonte, established in 1985, with about 400 members managing over 130,000 cattle, represents 25% of Piedmont's beef production and promotes Blonde d'Aquitaine in Italy.

🍕 Sassari is the Italian city where eating a pizza costs the most on average, at €14.11. Cities like Bolzano (€13.90), Milan (€13.50), and Venice (€13.47) are above the €13 average. Costs vary widely, with a meal ranging from €8 to €24 in Milan and €10.50 to €24 in Venice. Livorno is the cheapest city, averaging €8.67. Since September 2023, there's been a 4% increase in pizza meal costs, a 9% rise since September 2022, and a 16% escalation from September 2021. Notably, Naples saw a 32% increase in costs compared to three years ago.

🍻 U.S. RTD (Ready-to-Drink) spirits-based market has seen significant growth since 2019, with a 15%+ volume increase in states like Wyoming, Colorado, Virginia, Tennessee, New York, Florida, Arizona, Indiana, New Jersey, and Wisconsin from January to August 2024 compared to the previous year. The segment is expected to grow at an annual rate of 6% from 2023 to 2028, overtaking hard seltzers. Vodka has been the top ingredient over tequila since three years ago. 355 ml cans have surged from 7% to 69% market share in five years. Legislative changes in states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania have lowered RTD taxes and allowed sales in beer and wine outlets. Despite slower innovation, cocktails/long drinks lead new product introductions, with brands focusing on key products to reduce consumer confusion. The RTD market is diversifying, with a younger, predominantly male demographic driving demand.

📌 Hotel "No shows," where guests fail to arrive or cancel bookings, lead to immediate revenue loss from unoccupied rooms, resource misallocation, and potential reputation damage, particularly during high demand periods. Transparent cancellation policies with penalties and deposits encourage guests to follow through or cancel in advance. Integration of modern property management systems, automated communications, and data analysis for booking trends can optimize overbooking policies and forecasting accuracy. Implementing comprehensive pricing strategies with non-refundable discounted rates and dynamic pricing based on no-show patterns, coupled with modern payment systems that handle cancellations and cash flow management, are essential. Maintaining professional relationships through follow-up communications and rebooking opportunities are key to managing no-shows and safeguarding hotel reputation.

🍰 Christmas 2024 sees a rise in sales of traditional panettoni by 4% and filled ones by 2%. Panettone production in 2023 was 37,647 tons, a 3.5% increase from 2022, valued at €237.9M (+6.5%). Pandoro reached 32,073 tons (+4.1%), valued at €165.2M (+5.9%). Ingredients like butter reached over €11/kg due to inflation. Maina Panettoni’s orders are at 60% by end of November, signaling nearly 95M sweets nationally post-December 8. Exports of panettone in 2023 accounted for 19% of production, worth €112M.

✈️ easyJet sold over 20 million seats in Italy in the fiscal year ending September 30. At Malpensa, the carrier reached 8.6 million seats, served 67 routes, with an 8% annual increase. They confirmed their lead at Malpensa and plan to add a new flight simulator to their training center at Mxp. Naples also saw growth with 3.7 million seats offered and 49 routes.

📈 Aretè reported a 9% increase in the export price of Natural 11/13 hazelnuts since the end of September 2024, recovering to June 2024 levels after a drop earlier in Q2 2024. Despite a 10%-20% quantitative increase in the latest harvest, quality issues due to stink bug damage and limited availability of larger sizes have impacted market trends. Turkish exports in September-October 2024 rose 19% year-over-year, bolstering the market further.

✈️ In 2024, TravelPerk's annual Travel Disruption Report found 78% of business travelers experienced travel interruptions, with 43% facing delays over an hour. The survey covered 4,000 business travelers from the UK, USA, Germany, and Spain. Additionally, 27% dealt with cancellations, 21% were affected by weather and strikes. 41% missed or were late to client meetings due to disruptions, 40% incurred extra costs, and 36% worked overtime. Productivity was impacted for 85% of respondents. The US had high cancellation volumes, but China led with near 5% flight cancellation rates, followed by Canada and the US at 3%.

📅 Valle D'Aosta witnessed an uptick in tourist arrivals and overnight stays during June-September, registering 671,858 tourists (+1.6% compared to 2023) and 1,813,577 overnights (+2.91% year-over-year). Domestic arrivals fell by 5.36% (358,960 tourists) with a 1.84% decrease in overnight stays (593,904), while foreign tourist numbers jumped to 312,898 (+10.96%) and overnights to 1,219,673 (+14.29%). Excluding short-term rentals, the summer of 2024 would see a decline of 5.51% in overnights and 3.18% in arrivals. July's flood led to a -4.98% dip in overnights and -6.91% in arrivals.

📊 AstraRicerche conducted a survey in August 2024 on Italian youth (18-29 years) revealing 47% are unaware of "IV Gamma" fresh packaged produce, while 37% heard of it but don't know its meaning. Nonetheless, 73% buy these products regularly (39% weekly). Misinformation persists as 87% incorrectly believe these contain preservatives, yet 35% improperly store them without cool bags. Top purchases include bagged salads (59%) and cookable vegetables (50%), with 55% seeking IV Gamma-based recipes online, primarily on social media.