Enter the olive oils

Olive oil is a small category but it shows dynamic growth. Annual retail sales exceed HUF 2 billion . According to the Retail Index of Nielsen, growth was over 21 per cent last year. Sales of olive oil are concentrated in stores of the largest size. Hyper markets have a 51 per cent market share, while domestic retail chains increased their market share from 10 to 12 per cent last year. Discount stores lost 2 per cent last year and now have 20, whereas supermarkets hold a stable 15 per cent. MEDIST Hungary Kft. is a distributor of healthy and high quality food from Spain. Their most important products are SOS rice, olive oil and olives, jam, fruits and canned fish. They carry 15-16 olive oil products of the Borges brand. This brand belongs to a family business in Catalonia, which is the biggest Spanish exporter of olive oil and operates one of the largest laboratories in the industry to guarantee constant quality and flavour. Consumers of olive oil are usually health-conscious, high-status, high-income inhabitants of major cities. The representative office of the Italian Foreign Trade Institute (ICE) held a very successful seminar and workshop at the end of May. Professor Publio Viola spoke about the beneficial effects of olive oil and the related eating habits which promote its beneficial effects. The 80 guests involved in the distribution of olive oil in Hungary were also able to sample six products. Three types of olive oil exist, with differences in the strength of the fruity flavour and used for different gastronomic purposes accordingly.