Biscuit World Spring 2013 | Page 12

p.12 NT - BW Spring 2013_p.12 NT - BW Spring 2013.qxd 13/03/2013 10:07 Page 12 national TRENDS: braZil booming business well on track to becoming an economic superpower, brazil’s business is booming and the buoyant biscuit sector has grown accordingly, report simon Jones. B razil has just overtaken below 10kg – up from 8.4kg as the UK to become the recently as 2009. Leading sixth-largest economy in players are looking to value the world. By 2020 it added products to compensate will also be one of the world’s for any sluggish volumes. biggest consumer markets. Dias Branco has built a 25 Years of rapid growth in GDP per cent market share via a has already created a middle series of well-judged takeovers. class of over 100 million The acquisition of Adria consumers. Alimentos and Bomgosto in the Long labelled the ‘land of the last decade established Dias future,’ Brazil’s hosting of the Branco in south/south east and next World Cup and Olympics north/north east Brazil looks set to mark its emergence respectively. Bomgosto brand as a global economic Vitarella is now Dias Branco’s huge investment has helped superpower. best-selling biscuit. Most recently eqlibri grow in volume. The biscuit sector has grown the firm consolidated its position in step with Brazil’s huge population and booming in fast-growing northern Brazil – where incomes are economy. Brazil is the world’s second-biggest biscuit lower but growing faster – with the €88 million producer, with high consumption among all classes purchase of Pelágio Participações in 2011. and regions. Biscuit sales rose another 10 per cent Founded in the 1940s, Dias Branco grew out of by value to almost €5 billion in 2012. Segments Ceara province to build a national presence in such as cookies (up over 30 per cent by value) and biscuits and pasta. filled biscuits delivered even better numbers. Today the group controls its own raw materials, No surprise then that local market leader M Dias with several wheat mills integrated into its extensive Branco faces a growing challenge from global multis such as Nestle (already well-established in Brazil), Kraft and PepsiCo. Volume sales were little changed last year in a market where biscuits already enjoy high household penetration. Per capita consumption is hovering just pepsico’s eqlibri brand is widely available. 12 Spring 2013 BISCUIT WORLD