Increased sales in the high-price segment of Denmark’s organic food sector
Danes are increasingly consuming organic food, and the trend has been on the upturn since 2005. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, retail sales rose by 30% from 1.3 billion Swiss francs to 1.7 billion Swiss francs. What is interesting for Swiss exporters is that the increase is mainly due to increased sales of high-price segment goods in the organic food sector, while basic organic foods (milk, cheese, eggs) recorded a smaller increase in sales. In the food service sector (canteens, hotels, public institutions), an increase of 20% from 263 million Swiss francs to 314 million Swiss francs was recorded in organic food between 2016 and 2017. The main customers are public institutions (hospitals, kindergartens, training centers).
Quality, convenience and sustainability gain in importance
The organic food retail segment is concentrated around the larger cities of Copenhagen and Aarhus. According to a retail expert at Retail Institute Scandinavia, the Danish retail market can be divided into three parts: Luxury segment, medium price segment and discount segment. Products in the luxury price segment would perform well here, while shops offering goods in the mid-price segment would be difficult to sell. The trend that quality, convenience and sustainability enable a certain price elasticity is particularly confirmed for families containing a member who has completed higher education, including those with children.
Organic food is also popular with public institutions
In the food service sector (canteens, hotels, public institutions) there has been a considerable increase in the turnover of organic food, which reached a share of 9.3% in 2017. The main customers are public institutions (hospitals, kindergartens, training centers). Colonial goods accounted for 35% of total organic food sales in the food service sector in 2017, followed by dairy products (31%) and fruit and vegetables (19%).
Good business opportunities for high-quality Swiss organic products
Since Swiss products also stand for quality here in Switzerland, Swiss organic food products are particularly likely to have good sales opportunities in the food service sector and in retail trade for convenience products.
Attractive opportunities for Swiss producers:
- Food trade fair, September 4-5, 2019, the “Hoestmesse” in Copenhagen
- International FOOD Contest 2019, October 2019, Together with hi Tech & Industry Scandinavia
- Foodexpo, Herning, March 22-24, 2020, Food fair “Fødevaremesse - foodservice, detail og masiner”
- Madens Folkemøde, Engestofte Gods (on the islands Lolland and Falster), from 15 - 16 May 2020
- Madværkstedet, Copenhagen, March 23-24, 2021, “Fødevarefagmesse” food trade fair in “Lokomotivværkstedet”
