Catering Equipment: the growing international importance of the sector

The Catering Equipment sector represents a business undergoing significant growth at an international level.

An intensification of world trade of Catering Equipment is taking place

In the last century it was typically a business with local markets, with a world trade that did not reach € 9 billion, while in the new century (and especially in the current decade) the Catering Equipment sector underlined an increasing international dimension. In the last decade, despite the effects of the Great Recession, global trade of the sector has increased by over 10 billion euros, exceeding 27 billion euros last year.
In the forecast to 2021, global trade of Catering Equipment is expected to exceed 31 billion euros.

In particular, in the Cooking¹ business unit, the international flows of catering equipment exceeded 8 billion euros last year; in the Refrigeration² business unit the threshold of 14 billion euro was exceeded in 2018; in the Washing³ business unit the world trade has approached 5 billion euros value.

In the last decade especially the High and Medium-High price-ranges increased

The acceleration of international trade in professional equipment mainly concerns premium-price segments. The worldwide sales of high and medium-high price band of Catering Equipment products have, in fact, risen from 4.8 billion euros in 2008 (28% of the total) to 12 billion euros last year, reaching a 43 percent share of total industry flows.
In particular, for the Cooking business unit, world trade flows related to the highest price band exceeded € 5 billion (65% of the total, compared with a 49% share ten years earlier) last year; the trade of Refrigeration business unit has amounted to 5.4 billion euros (compared with 1.9 billion in 2008) and the world trade of High and Medium-High price band Washing products reached the record threshold of one billion euros.

The Italian international leadership

In 2018 Italy (widely the leading European exporter) was confirmed at the first place overall in the ranking of world exporters of Catering Equipment sector, preceding, albeit slightly, China, according to the StudiaBo pre-estimates formulated within the Ulisse Information System. From values of just over 2 billion euros at the end of the last decade (following the effects of the Great Recession), since 2010 Italian exports of Catering Equipment have been showing particularly accelerated dynamics, exceeding in the last two years 3.5 billion euros.
In particular, in 2018 overseas sales of companies in the sector recorded a Year-over-Year increase of +6.4% (corresponding to an increase in turnover of +225 million euros).

Top Worldwide Exporters in 2018 (Millions €)
Professional Equipment for cooking	Machines and equipment for bakery
Chests, cabinets, display cabinets and showcases	Dishwasher industrial-type

• the Cooking business unit:
  • with a market share of 18.7% worldwide, Italy is the world's 1st exporter of Coffee Machines and other professional cooking appliances, before Germany;
  • in addition, with a global market share of 29.1%, Italy is by far the world's 1st exporter of Machines and equipment for bakery;
• the Refrigeration business unit: Italy, with a market share of 16.6% in 2018, contends to China (17.3%) the 1st place in the world of exports of Chests, cabinets, display cabinets and showcases;
• least but not last, the Washing business unit: Italy - with an estimated market share in 2018 close to 29% - contends to Germany the 1st place in the world of exports of Dishwasher industrial type.