A Colombian consumes 1.52 kilos of cheese per year, a figure that has increased 50% in the last five yearseven, with a pandemic in the middle.
(American cheeses, an industry with a great offer and experience).
This data is proof that the market has become more dynamic and has developed around a product that goes beyond being served fresh at breakfast time. In 2021 it added 76,000 tons, 4% more than in 2020, according to Euromonitor data.
It is estimated that 52% of sales in this category are concentrated in chain supermarkets, where Grupo Éxito, the country’s leading sales company, has sought a relevant role in promoting this category with the Cheese Show , its annual fair that from today until Sunday, will be held again in person at the Unicentro Shopping Center, north of Bogotá.
The volume on the market corresponds not only to the demand of the final consumer but also to what is used in food, explains Edisson Díaz, co-director of the Cheese Hall and representative in Colombia of the International Cheese Brotherhood, entity that seeks to promote and preserve the culture of this dairy derivative in the world.
(60% of imported cheeses come from the United States).
The expert highlights that per capita consumption reaches 1.5 kilos a year, a figure that has increased by 50% in the last 5 years and that begins to show the country as an interesting market.
Bogota is the region of the country with the highest participation in the billing of this product with 54% of total national sales.
File, Archive
It is estimated that 52% of sales in this category are concentrated in chain supermarkets. “Consumers continue to prefer fresh cheeses, but semi-mature and mature cheeses continue to gain ground in the taste of Colombians,” says the manager, while acknowledging that the market is advancing despite the complex situation of high inflation that has occurred reflected in the increase in prices, as has happened in the dairy industry.
Regarding what has to do exclusively with the dynamics of the category within Grupo Éxito supermarkets, Díaz points out that as of October the increase has been 10.9% compared to 2021 and represents 38% within the delicatessen section. More than 80 national and imported brands of fresh, semi-mature, mature and spreadable cheeses are sold in its supermarkets.
“So far this year, more than 560,000 consumers have bought this food in the delicatessen section with a visit frequency of 2.7 times per year. The end of the year season is the time with the highest sales… and semi-mature cheeses such as Dutch cheese, Savannah, Gruyère or Paipa have a growth of more than 25%”according to Edison Diaz.
(Cheese consumption continues to grow in Colombia).
Bogotá is the region of the country with the greatest participation in sales with 54% of total national sales.
Their statistics indicate that the consumption of cheese among Colombians is no longer associated only with celebrations and, in this line, it is not concentrated on Fridays and Saturdays, since now dynamism is noted in the purchase on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
On the path of culturizing and encouraging consumption among Colombians, the Cheese Hall returns to face-to-face, which for this edition will bring together 32 brands in 51 stands that will exhibit 400 product references. There are from the big brands such as Colanta and Alpina to entrepreneurs and artisan producers who contribute to the development of the market.
Businessmen and representatives of brands and products associated with this product also meet with an artisan bakery area and a store with cheeses, matured meats, wines and spirits.
BRIEFCASE
