European food market is transitioning

The European fresh food market is mainly dominated by supermarkets combating each other in price competition. As Fresh Plaza explains,  the market as a whole is characterized by diversification, as more and more “exotic” products become available and popular. Another obvious trend is the growing interest of consumers for organic and sustainable products and foods.

As a huge amount of fresh fruits and vegetables have to be imported to Europe, big importers are substantial to the market, but also repress smaller businesses, due to fierce price competition.

For producers, it is not easy to gain access to the European market, as regulations are the strictest in the world. But once in the game, the price is the most important factor to success. Because consumers tend to buy the same product over and over again, if they are once convinced of its quality and low price, only a few companies dominate the market. For organic foods, the competition is not as high, but the trend seems to be changing into the same direction as the conventional food market.