2023 was a challenge for wine in the mass retail trade, sales were down 3.3% (-2.8% on DOCs)

Wine consumption is continuing to decrease even in its largest outlet, mass retail trade, which thanks to 756 million liters of wines and sparkling wines sold in 2023, is, however, the largest commercial channel. There has been a general -3% decrease, 3% in volume (2.8% if we consider wines of origin), even though there has been an increase in value (+ 2.5%), which in any case does not “balance out” the situation that is still upsetting. Red wines are losing ground to “healthier” rosés and whites in the “preference” ranking, yet another confirmation of the International trend, in Italy as well, which prefers products that have a lighter alcohol content. Prosecco, one of the most purchased wines in supermarkets and discount stores, won in 2023 (sparkling and semi sparkling wines), counting more than 43 million liters (-1.5% compared to the previous year), ahead of Chianti at more than 16 million liters, -4.9%, Lambrusco at more than 15 million liters, -9.5%, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo at more than 13 million liters, +4% and Vermentino at more than 10 million liters, +2.3%. Wines that registered the highest sales rate were: Cerasuolo rosé from Abruzzo at +19%; the Sicilian, Grillo, at +12.2%; Pecorino, produced in Marche and Abruzzo, at +12%; Lugana, from Lombardy and Veneto at +9.5%, and Ribolla from Friuli Venezia Giulia at +8.0% in volume (see more details about the two rankings in the photo, ed.). The Circana study (this is a preview that will be fully presented at Vinitaly 2024, on April 15th, at the round table on “Wine & mass retail trade”, organized by Veronafiere), includes rankings of the top 15 best-selling wines and the 15 “emerging” wines. The commentators (at Vinitaly 2024, ed.) will be Mirko Baggio, Federvini (Responsible for Mass Retail Sales at Villa Sandi); Francesca Benini, Italian Wine Union - UIV (Sales & Marketing Director of Cantine Riunite & CIV); Simone Pambianco, Category Manager of Beverages, Conad; Francesco Scarcelli, Head of Beverage & Frozen Foods, COOP; Lorenzo Cafissi, Beverage & Home & Personal Care Director, CARREFOUR Italia; Marco Usai, Wine Specialist, MD.
2023 was a challenging year on the wine mass retail trade wine market, though inflation weighed less than in 2022, and the second half of the year registered a slight increase in sales. Overall, wine decreased -3.3% in volume compared to the previous year (+2.5% in value). Denomination of origin bottled wines did a bit better, falling to -2.8%, and bubbles dropped to -1.1%. More in detail, rosés sold better than whites, whites better than reds, still better than sparkling wines. The average price of bottled Designation of Origin wines (DOC, DOCG, TGI) was 5.4 euros per liter, an average 6.3% increase compared to the previous year. “Strategies for recovery will depend”, Virgilio Romano, Business Insight Director by Circana, said, “on whether wineries and distribution decide to preserve margins or recover volumes. In the first case, the risk is a less than brilliant end of the year, and in the second, greater promotional activity could favor a recovery in volumes”.
“The study/conference that analyzed 2023 data in depth, especially the first quarter of 2024”, Maurizio Danese commented at Veronafiere, on “Wine & Mass Retail” (20th edition), “has been useful to take stock of the market dynamics of a fundamental sales channel for Italian companies. That is to say, the dialogue, at Vinitaly 2024, between producers, distribution and buyers, which is of fundamental and takes on an even greater value in the face of the most recent harvest’s lower production as well as the pressures of inflation, which we trust will ease as soon as possible”.