Zimbo going strong

Bologna and cold cuts are still among the most popular sandwich ingredients, annual sales of the two combined amount to more than HUF 50 million. Bad news is that there was a sales drop last year – we learned from a Pick Szeged Zrt.’s senior product manager Zoltán Szántó: bologna sales plunged by 4.85 percent and cold cuts sales dropped 2.66 percent in terms of volume. About two thirds of bologna sold are made from poultry (28-29 percent is pork bologna and beef bologna’s share is 5 percent), while in the cold cuts category pork products’ share is a stunning 90 percent. Self-service selling is slowly but steadily conquering, in part because of the growing popularity of discounters. Tímea Mónika Tóth, head of marketing at Sága Foods Zrt. told our magazine that in the last twelve months 6.6 percent more bologna products were sold from the self-service counter in 1.4 percent higher value – at the same time sales from the deli counter were down 5.5 percent in value and dropped 11 percent in volume. It is noteworthy that more than half of shoppers are ‘impulsive’: they often decided standing in front of the deli counter. About 97 percent of customers buy from the deli counter once a week, so this segment remains key for PICK in 2014, too. The company targets quality-conscious consumers with the PICK brand: in the bologna category PICK pork bologna and PICK Nosztalgia beef bologna are the most sought-after, while from cold cuts classics such as Italian, Zala, Hunter and Csabai are the most popular. Price-sensitive customers’ choice can be Família products, which are affordable but of constant good quality. Bacon- and onion-dominant Família kedvenc is a new product under this brand. Família product line will soon return with a new look. Sága turkey bolognas have the second biggest market share (12.2 percent) among branded products in terms of value. This spring the company updates its bologna and ham products. Sága turkey bolognas have higher-than-average 60-65 percent meat content. Each product is made without soy, they are gluten-free and only the cheese version contains lactose. Not only are the recipes new but the packaging as well: it is stylish and colourful. Sága ham products also receive a new packaging and the Selyemsonka product line is added a new pepper version. On the packaging customers find various sandwich ideas. Bolognas and cold cuts are very important in ZIMBO Kft.’s portfolio: last year these two product groups realised 40 percent of total sales. Commercial director Tamás Kováts told Trade magazin that their best selling cold cuts are Vienna, Garlic, Italian, Soproni and Zala, while among bolognas Beef, Pork, Spring, Veal, Cucumber and Deli are the most popular. Sales of sliced self-service products have been growing in the last few years, with Vienna and Garlic cold cuts and Beef bologna performing the best. András Benkő, head of domestic sales at KAISER FOOD Kft. informed us that cold cuts and bolognas are both very important categories for the company. They are trying to improve their positions in the first-price and in the higher-priced segments. The introduction of gluten-free products is already on the agenda. Bologna sales are shifting towards deli counter products. Their Arany Pulyka product family was renewed this spring: better taste, higher meat content and new packaging are all part of the update. The company also plans innovation in the pork category this year, focusing on pork bologna. From Kométa 99 Zrt.’s portfolio the ‘checked’ cold cuts in the ‘Delicious every day’ product line are market leaders and sales of the Harmónia bologna product family also keep improving – we learned from Krisztina Bódi, marketing director of Kométa 99 Zrt. On the packaging of sliced ‘Delicious every day’ products customers find information on net weight and the number of slices. Their new product in the bologna category, Harmónia with Olives does really well in the market.