The foreign division of Conserve Italia, the Bologna-based cooperative consortium present in over 80 countries with Cirio and Valfrutta brands, achieved the best results ever, closing the 2017-18 financial year with net sales of € 183 million , + 4% compared to the previous year.
"This is an important growth that rewards the strategic decision to centralize sales in one direction", explains the Sales Manager of Conserve Italia, Diego Pariotti. The markets in which exports recorded the most positive performances are South East Asia and North America on the front of non-EU countries and France, the UK and Scandinavian countries with regard to Europe.
On the European market the Cirio brand confirms its leadership in several countries, such as Great Britain, France and Eastern European countries, for example in Romania.
In the United States the growth trend is positive (+ 55%), thanks to the activity pursued by the commercial structure established three years ago and to investments on the Cirio brand, which is now also available in the major retail brands in Florida, Carolina, New Jersey, Michigan, Wisconsin and Texas.
But the new export frontier of Conserve Italia is Southeast Asia. In just one year the turnover growth trend registered a + 45%, driven by the excellent performance of online sales, which account for 70% of turnover. "The effort we are doing throughout the area, from Thailand to Indonesia, through China, Korea and Taiwan - explains Pariotti - is to train restaurateurs and operators to use our products, as we believe that the education is the main encouragement to increase consumption in countries with eating habits so different from ours".
