Distribuzione e Revenue

📈 In August 2024, Italy's Large-Scale Retail Trade (GDO) generated €10.4 billion, a 2.5% increase from August 2023. The inflation index for Packaged Mass Consumption (LCC) was -0.2%, with a real price change of -0.8%. Specialist Drug stores saw an 11.9% revenue jump, while Supermarkets and Discounts grew by 4.1% and 1.8%, respectively. Promotional sales constituted 22.8%, up 1% year-over-year. Brand distributor products (MDD) reached a 22.6% share in Hypermarkets, Supermarkets, and Free Services, and 31.6% nationally, including Discounts. Grocery volume and value increased by 3.1% and 2.3%, respectively, with Beverages and Personal Care sectors growing by over 5% in both aspects. Meat saw a decrease of 1.2% in value, despite a 0.2% increase in volume.

🏢 Spencer & Carter reported a +53% increase over budget forecasts after a summer season with double-digit growth compared to the previous year. Massimiliano Masaracchia, the commercial director, announced the positive results before attending TTG Travel Experience 2024 in Rimini. The company expanded its workforce in the Triveneto, Piedmont, and Liguria regions, and strengthened its presence in Lombardy, Tuscany, Puglia, and Sicily, leading to a 59% increase in activated codes with travel agencies and tour operators year-over-year. Spencer & Carter aim to use the Rimini event to further establish and solidify trade relationships.

🍴 Il Vizio, ristorante situato sul rooftop del Sina Bernini Bristol a Roma, si reinventa con un nuovo look, ristrutturato dall'architetto Valerio Alecci. Presenta un menu d'autore con la collaborazione dello chef Nagano Tetsuo e dello chef Igles Corelli, mescolando sushi e cucina italiana. Il Vizio Milano e Perugia offrono un design unico e mixology contemporanea. Riconosciuto dalla Guida del Gambero Rosso con 'Tre Mappamondi' e 'Tre Bacchette' per la sua eccellenza gastronomica etnica e sushi.

🌉 Italy's Passalacqua on Lake Como secured the second-place title at the World’s 50 Best Hotels Awards in London, also named Best Hotel in Europe, and received the Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award. Capella Bangkok in Thailand took the top spot, with Bangkok hosting four of the top fifty hotels. The awards featured hotels from 37 different destinations. Three additional Italian hotels made the list: Four Seasons Florence (19th), Borgo Santandrea in Amalfi (20th), and Umbria's Castello di Reschio (42nd). Europe garnered 13 nominations, with Italy, France, and the UK each having four properties featured.

🍷 In Italy, the 2024 harvest is marked by high-quality grapes despite unstable weather and heavy rain, particularly in Northern Italy. Alto Adige's Cantina San Michele Appiano began harvesting in response to cooler temperatures, anticipating slightly below-average yields but excellent quality, according to Jakob Gasser. Franciacorta's Montina, led by Michele Bozza, reported a challenging year with lower production than 2023 but promising grape quality thanks to experienced viticulture and Simonit & Sirch pruning. In Colli Berici, Cà Rovere, managed by Marco Biasin, faced unstable weather, leading to more vineyard work but better grape quality and yield. The harvest started in late August with Chardonnay, with the introduction of smaller 20-25 kg grape boxes. Tuscany's Vallepicciola, under Alessandro Cellai, saw the harvest begin in late August with a 5-8% increase in yield over 2023, attributed to new vineyards. Ampeleia in Alta Maremma, overseen by Marco Tait, started harvesting on August 20, with the conclusion expected in mid-September, seeing beautiful grape evolution.

🍾 In France, the 2024 wine harvest is set to be one of the lowest since World War II, with an 18% annual decline and 11% below the five-year average. Poor weather conditions have significantly impacted wine regions like Jura, Charente, Loire Valley, and Beaujolais-Burgundy. The decrease is attributed to climate change effects, with issues like flower and grape shattering, and downy mildew causing considerable damage. This comes amidst a global contraction in demand and internal consumption challenges, suggesting a need for the French wine industry to reassess its strategic approach.

🏕️ Italian tourists returning to India numbered 62,226 in 2022, below half the pre-COVID 2019 count of 128,720. The Indian Tourism Board's statistics are as of 2022. Ambassador Vani Rao emphasizes ease of obtaining an Indian tourist visa, now available online with a processing time of at least 72 hours, valid for a few days up to 3 years, with stays not exceeding 90 consecutive days. Additionally, over 8,000 Italians visited India for medical treatments last year.

💰 CDSHotels reports 8% revenue growth in the first 8 months of the year, with Terrasini Città del Mare and Riva Marina Resort witnessing a +17% and +13% increase respectively. Ada Miraglia, the commercial director, attributes success to quality service, customer care, and smart pricing, despite a volatile market due to unstable international affairs and economic challenges for middle-class families. Future outlook is positive, forecasting a 22% rise from September to December compared to 2023, with many properties fully booked in September and rising occupancy in October.

🏖 Foreign visitor spending in Italy grew by 8% in June, with a tourism trade balance surplus of €3.2 billion, up from €3.0 billion in June 2023. Italy's Banca d'Italia reports foreign travelers spent €6.1 billion and Italian travelers abroad spent €2.9 billion. The Q2 2024 balance hit €7.4 billion (0.4% of GDP), a rise from €6.7 billion in Q2 2023. EU travelers' spending in Italy surged by 14.4%, outpacing non-EU visitors' 5.4% increase.

📈 In Q2 2024, the market services sector in Italy saw a 0.3% increase in added value, offsetting a 0.8% decline in the industrial sector. The economy grew by 0.1%, with rental and travel agencies (1.4%), information and communication (1.2%), and professional activities (1.1%) leading the growth. However, wholesale trade connected to manufacturing fell by 0.4%. Service exports rose slightly year-over-year, representing 5.5% of Italy's GDP compared to France and Germany's 11.5% and 9%. Inflation in the services sector increased marginally to 3.1% in July and August from 2.9% in the previous quarter. Employment in the sector set a record, with a 0.2% increase in workforce units compared to 2022, driven by a 0.4% rise in salaried work. The financial and insurance activities (+0.3%) and the professional sector (+0.6%) saw employment boosts, while transport and hospitality services faced a 0.5% decrease, and communication and information services dropped by 1.3%.