EUROPE FMCG MARKET

KEY FINDINGS

1. FMCG product prices have risen across Europe,  by about 6-8 %, and the annual inflation rate in the Euro Area accelerated to 9.1% in August of 2022 from 8.9% in July.
2. The inflation rate broke a new record high, and food prices continue to accelerate (Inflation rate 10.6% in July 2022 vs 9.8% in July 2022).
3. Rising prices are leading shoppers to consider cheaper meal alternatives.
4. Grocery retailers tend to perform well in economic turmoil as cash-strapped consumers are prioritizing  their spending on food and other essentials.
5. There is a growing demand for health and wellness products due to increased awareness and the aging population.
6. Packaging companies are recording higher profits, this is due to price increases for their customers, the outcome of inflation.
7. Packaging industry faced difficulty in supplying manufactured products to their customers due to problems from the logistics side like Issue of shipping: Imbalanced distribution of containers.
8. The cost of some input materials i.e. chemicals increased. For example, Starches used in papermaking have seen their price increase by 30% on average when compared to a year ago.
9. Foods and beverages industry are the big emitters of greenhouse gases ( 20% of total). To overcome this situation companies are coming up or planning to bring  Plant-based foods, shifting from animal agriculture. 
10. Amazon is the leading marketplace for FMCG in countries like UK, Germany, and France. 
11. In few FMCG categories some old mortar and brick companies are competing with their click-and-collect service.
12. Some manufacturing companies like Bofrost, are also doing direct selling through its own platform.

INTRODUCTION

Fast-moving consumer goods are items that sell rapidly and at a small price. Such items are indeed known as consumer processed goods. Because of growing consumer awareness e.g., fizzy drinks as well as confectionaries or since they are volatile, FMCGs have just a limited shelf life e.g., meat, dairy products, and baked goods.

Such commodities are regularly acquired, eaten quickly, are relatively inexpensive, and therefore are offered in huge quantities. These do have a massive turnover when they are on the retail shelf.

Fast-moving consumer products include highly perishable items that typically move rapidly and at a cheap cost. FMCGs feature poor profitability and large sales quantity. Milk, gum, fruits and vegetables, toilet paper, soda, beer, and over-the-counter medications such as aspirin are instances of FMCGs.

Consumption goods are products obtained for personal use. Commodities are categorized into four types: permanent commodities, nondurable items, and activities. Non - durable goods items have a shelf life of less than one year, whereas durable goods have such a life span of four years upwards of.

The fastest-moving consumer items are the most common type of consumer goods. Things are generally non durable since they are devoured quickly and also have a limited shelf life. FMCGs account for more than half of all consumer expenditure, although they are often low-commitment purchases.

Consumers are more willing to brag about a long-lasting item, such as a new automobile or a well-designed smartphone, than they are about a new energy drink. Due to the obvious lot of turnover of fast-moving consumer products, the market is not only highly vast, but also tremendously competitive.

EUROPE FMCG MARKET DEVELOPMENTS AND INNOVATIONS

EUROPE FMCG MARKET DYNAMICS

Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) is the broadest category of consumer goods, encompassing a wide range of market segments such as housing, healthcare, including personal services, and snacks and drinks, as well as their marketing, manufacture, and distribution.

This home healthcare category is expected to develop significantly as customers' discretionary wages increase, people spending more money on luxury personal care goods.

Other reasons, such as with the rise in online shopping, R&D for new brands and goods, as well as the growth of FMCG networks in emerging nations' rural regions, are projected to create new doors for FMCG market participants inside the future.

Nonetheless, the global FMCG industry's development is likely to be hampered by intense rivalry among large market participants and poor retail execution.

In the last generation, there has also been a trend toward consumers becoming more vulnerable to health problems and cleanliness and sanitation, leading to a more sanitary environment.

Consumers can order their everyday necessities based on their sanitary appropriateness; therefore their purchasing behaviour is consequently influenced by their lifestyle. This trend is creating possibilities for the FMCG industry.

Organizations provide items that are suitable with the lifestyles of their targeted customer demographic. The eating healthy movement seems to have been a major element influencing the expansion of the food and beverage business.

Amazon seemed to have the highest market share between all online foodservice merchants, following behind Walmart as well as Kroger. Until enough people utilize digital grocery shops, there is still a lot of room for expansion.

EUROPE FMCG MARKET SEGMENTATION

The Europe FMCG Market can be segmented into following categories for further analysis.

By Product Type

• Food and  Beverages
• Healthcare
• Household and Personal
• Electronics
• Footwear and Accessories 
• Apparel 
• Others 

By Industry Stake Holder Type

• Logistics
• Packaging
• Raw Materials

By Distribution Type

• E-Commerce
• Brick and Mortor Shop

By Regional Classification

• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• ROE

RECENT TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS IN EUROPE FMCG MARKET

There seems to be a noticeable trend in factory digitalization, and autonomous warehousing backed by cognitive business intelligence will virtually become the standard.

In addition, electronic efforts are being implemented throughout the board, from vendor engagement and administration to managing inventory, distribution strategic planning, including revenue.

Embracing digital manufacturing as well as constructing autonomous warehousing free up capacity and make processes nimbler.

Sophisticated reporting and analytics fuel all of this, assuring seamless and optimal operations. As Organizations change and adapt to protracted and unorganised shut downs, their own capacity to speedily digitise the value stream, make coalitions for industrial production, dispersion, brand management, and design and development, and then use data tool to understand comprehend customers and shopping to preserve and possibly enhance the customer experience will now be the industry's critical distinction.

Technologies such as big data, prescriptive modelling, and social networking sites are also making significant contributions to the shift in path.

By cherry-picking purchase behaviour, customer behaviour can now be predicted virtually correctly. The business has digitalized its manufacturing and is constructing automated warehouses, which will unleash capacity and give the agility needed to manage operations.

This is all supported by sophisticated data and analytics. MCG firms may soon begin incorporating cutting-edge innovations like block chain technology, machine learning, digital assistants, and robots in order to improve processes and customer satisfaction and pleasure.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

It's become more important than ever for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms to strategically implement digital technology in order to not only accommodate to changing customer demands, but also customize the consumer growth and enhance productivity and competitiveness.

In reality, studies have shown that companies who've already increased digital adoption in their sales, warehouse and inventory management, and distributor systems benefit from increased effectiveness and are successful in the long term.

In the big scheme of things, this outbreak has likely affected consumer behaviours and tastes. While many FMCG firms were researching technological change at different levels, the epidemic has boosted the pace and scope of implementation.

Loreal is part of the growing force of consumers based upon the varied levels of products launched under personal care services of the European market. The expert fragrances at L'Oréal used to convert the notion of heat into aroma served as the preliminary step for this ground-breaking discovery.

To accomplish this, they determined the distinguishing accords of Spice bomb Infrared, including comprise chilli pepper, cinnamon, black pepper, and red berries. Ircam's scientists subsequently converted those tones into noises.

The idea would have been to transition through one perception to the next and broaden Infrared's perceptual footprints by generating a distinct sound for the smell. Ircam Amplify's sound designers used a unique way to correlate Spice bomb Infrared's spices with sound frequencies.

Using the Speak approach, which is founded on brainwave entrainment investigation into how our ears hear tones, investigators were able to generate a palette of sounds that were as near to the feelings that we experience as feasible.

Nestle AG has been growing towards newer integration of the technologies focusing on better and optimised FMCG requirements based on the customer needs. Nestle has promoted AI with business intelligence in order to create data-driven marketing strategies.

Nestle, thus according to sources, seems to have a capable infrastructure that makes data accessible, interoperable, and democratised. Nestle used Microsoft Power BI and Azure to create a consolidated data warehousing in order to create a dependable data analytics and business intelligence platform with high-quality, scalable data.

Nestle takes full advantage of data information to give the greatest informed solutions, underpinned by strong data models and algorithms. The company has established a one-on-one interaction with its customers by employing technologies such as NLP, conversational AI, voice assistants, and machine learning.

It has also improved individualised dialogue with customers via sophisticated chatbot, electronic nutritional advice, applications, and other means. The firm employs AI to provide individualised health and wellness solutions, as well as bespoke

COMPANIES PROFILED

• Nestle AG
• Loreal Industries
• Diageo Inc.
• Unilever Group
• British American Tobacco
• Anheuser Busch In Bev
• Christian Dior Group
• Hermes International
• Kernig
• Schwarz Beteiligungs-KG
• Uniper Global Commodities SE
• Procter and Gamble Inc.
• Trafigura Beheer BV