Innovazione

🏨 In 2025, hotel managers are advised on overbooking strategies: intentional overbooking to counter no-shows and unintentional due to system errors. Effective management includes integrated booking systems to prevent accidents, clear communication policies, offering upgrades or nearby accommodations, and exceptional customer service for affected guests. Overbooking, when managed well, can maximize occupancy and revenues while maintaining a hotel's reputation. Chekin offers a free 14-day trial to streamline hotel operations.

🍺 Red Bull released limited spring editions in the United States on March 3, 2025, featuring Red Bull Spring Edition Grapefruit & Blossom, Red Bull Pink Edition Wild Berries, and Red Bull Sea Blue Edition Juneberry, each also available sugar-free. The Grapefruit & Blossom is the first-ever spring edition launched in the U.S. The new flavors are designed to evoke spring energy and are currently exclusive to the U.S. market. A Bloomin' Grapefruit Mocktail recipe using Red Bull Spring Edition Grapefruit & Blossom was also introduced.

☕ At SIGEP, Fabio Russo interviewed Carmen Stanziola, the Commercial Manager of Dalla Corte, showcasing their range of professional coffee machines including the Icon and Zero Barista for the Horeca channel. La Piccola Studio, a smaller-scale machine offering professional quality coffee, suitable for home, residences, and restaurants, was also highlighted. Dalla Corte plans to unveil new coffee machine innovations at the Host event. Horecanews.it regularly updates on the Horeca sector.

🏨 By 2025, hotel managers in Italy must leverage online booking portals to increase visibility and simplify reservations. Platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, Hotels.com, Trip.com, and Lastminute.com offer diverse markets and advanced tools. Employing a diversified strategy and optimizing listings with high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and updated services, including COVID-19 safety protocols, is crucial. Technologies like virtual tours and AI-based personalized recommendations enhance user experience and competitiveness. 🛎️

🍕 Italians prioritize healthy eating and are willing to pay more for healthy products, yet 51% choose the lowest-priced food services. The Rapporto Coop 2024 highlights this duality. Businesses respond by investing in training; 75.2% of Italian companies plan to do so between 2022-2024, focusing on technical skills (96.9%) and new business areas (81%). The Molino Magri Academy hosts Innovation Day on March 17 in Pompeii, offering professional growth opportunities with experts covering neuromarketing, nutrition, cost management, and more to address market challenges.

🍴 Kikunae Ikeda, a Japanese chemist, coined "umami" in 1908, identifying MSG as its source. Bartenders are now using umami-rich ingredients like soy sauce and mushrooms to enhance cocktails, such as adding soy sauce to a Bloody Mary. Bar40 Umami Bitters balance bitter and umami flavors. Filippo Sisti pioneered umami in Italian cocktails. Techniques like fat-washing, using fats to infuse spirits, and fermentation with miso or kombucha enhance umami. Italy, with 2,460 Japanese restaurants as of November 2023, is the second country in Europe for the number of Japanese eateries, reflecting a growing Japanese culinary trend.

🍷 Martin Foradori Hofstätter, since 2020, has been at the forefront of alcohol-free wine in Italy and leads the century-old J. Hofstätter estate. The Dr. Fischer Zero Riesling Sparkling, made with 100% Riesling Kabinett, will debut at Vinitaly 2025, targeting the Horeca channel exclusively. Hofstätter, who pioneered investing in Mosella's Saar region in 2014, also launched the Steinbock Riesling Zero line in 2020. His alcohol-free wines have gained market success and interest from Michelin-starred restaurants.

📈 bofrost Italia SpA ended the 2024-25 financial year with a turnover of €300 million, signaling growth. The company presented these figures at the new financial year launch meeting in San Vito al Tagliamento (PN). President and CEO Gianluca Tesolin highlighted bofrost*'s agile approach amidst market uncertainties. bofrost* continues to innovate, adding over 100 new frozen and fresh products annually and investing in AI for its sales app. The company employs 2,830 people and serves over 1 million Italian families.

☕ Rhea will be at HIP - Hospitality Innovation Planet 2025 in Madrid from March 10-12, with stand 6C344. Offering an immersive experience focusing on hospitality, Rhea highlights quality, beverage variety, design, and sustainability. The table-top rhTT1 and Fresh Milk machine rhMM2 present a diverse range of drinks including coffee and milk alternatives. The free-standing models rhFS1 and rhFS2, paired with Saphirh snack machines, emphasize quality vending solutions. CEO César Ouro will speak on March 12th about sustainability and inclusive hospitality. Barista On Demand, an autonomous coffee service, represents innovation in the sector. Rhea, established in 1960 by Aldo Doglioni Majer, operates internationally with headquarters in Varese, Italy, and subsidiaries in 10 countries, serving coffee culture in 100 nations.

📊 NielsenIQ expanded its Consumer Panel to 16,000 units, becoming Italy's largest. Data for 2024 shows a 1% growth in Grocery spending with an average receipt of €25.12, driven by a higher purchase frequency (196 annual acts) despite a 0.7% drop in quantity per transaction. Consumers aged 55+ are driving consumption growth, with a 2.3% increase in their basket value, notably among singles (4.1% increase). The affluence of this group is evident, with 66% classified as high-income and spending an average of €2.42 per package. NielsenIQ's integration of Retail measurement and Consumer data offers detailed market insights, enabling businesses and retailers to better understand market evolutions.