A 9.7% hike in organic retail sales in 2019 helped Germany retain its number two place in the global organic market rankings, but with France hard on its tails. Organic food and drink sales in Germany last year totalled EUR11.97 billion.
Diana Schack of consumer research specialist AMI gave a snapshot of the German organic market at last week’s Biofach trade show in Nuremberg.
One of the big factors behind continuing strong growth in Germany’s organic market is the high level of engagement by supermarkets and discovers who “were both very active in extending their organic ranges last year”. Organic NPD also remains strong in Germany – the country accounted for 20% of all new organic food launches in 2019 (Mintel).
Natural Food stores are also on the rise, said Schack. They are fewer in number in the past but tend to have a larger footprint, she noted.
In terms of the retail channel split, supermarkets and discounters accounted for EUR7.13 billion of retail sales (of the EUR11.97 million total) and saw 11.4% growth in 2019, natural food stores took EUR3.18 billion (up 8.4%) and other channels (online, health food stores, farmers’ markets etc) accounted for EUR1.6 billion (up 5%).
Turning to category share, milk and meat substitutes were way out front (at 69.9% and 44.4% respectively of their total category value). They were followed by eggs (14.1%), milk (10.1%), vegetable oils (9.2%), yoghurt (7.4%), fruit (6.8%) and meat (2.6%).
Diana Schack presents latest data at last week’s Biofach event