To help control the spread of COVID-19 the government of India has taken a range of measures including a nationwide lockdown. With foodservice outlets forced to shut and consumers forced to remain at home this led to a rise in home cooked food. With edible oils being used in a wide range of popular Indian dishes this provided a boost to retail sales, with grocery retailers able to remain open even during the lockdown. Furthermore, with many consumers unable to work or being forced to work…

Edible oils will see the most drastic decline of foodservice sales within cooking ingredients and meals in Hong Kong in 2020 as consumers stay home due to COVID-19 restrictions. Foodservice has experienced much decreased demand in general, causing all different types of oil to suffer to a similar extent. Soy oil has been the most extensively used foodservice oil in various foodservice genres due to its high cost-performance value (namely, it has a low cost and high boiling point).…

COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown in quarter two of 2020 resulted in heightened consumer interest in being healthy (and thus eating healthily) in the medium/long term. The immediate impact was a spike in sales of edible oils and other staple foods (pasta, noodles, rice, canned/preserved food, etc.) as the Greek government imposed restrictions on their populations’ movements. In addition, consumers stockpiled olive oil specifically before lockdown started as this product is capable of…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant closure of restaurants, as well as the lower utilisation of these after their reopening in May, foodservice sales have fallen sharply in 2020 compared to the previous year. This significant decline has however been absorbed by the retail channel. The reasons for this are, on the one hand, the increased number of people working from home and the closure of schools in spring 2020, as well as edible oils’ storability and resultant stockpiling of it…

The Covid-19 lockdown in France led to more home cooking as consumers were forced to eat at home and, as a result, edible oil consumption is set to increase in 2020. Most takeaway and delivery options were closed for at least the first month of lockdown in France, meaning that consumer foodservice volumes decreased sharply during this time. Across edible oils, rapeseed oil is set to enjoy good growth in consumption in 2020 as many consumers look to this inexpensive oil in order to save money…

In 2020, other edible oil is expected to demonstrate the fastest retail volume growth, albeit from a low base, thanks to the expansion of the category in Estonia through a number of new product launches. There are, for example, new types of other edible oil available that are produced from linseed, grape seed, and pumpkin seed, which appeals to the more adventurous tastes of consumers in Estonia. These products are versatile and there are options that can be used in cooking, baking or deep…

Edible oils will perform well in 2020 overall in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. All product areas are anticipated to see increased current value sales, Prior to the pandemic, edible oils was performing well given that it is a staple food item that it used in many households. Due to the government-imposed restrictions that were implemented from 17 March 2020, consumers were obliged to stay at home which meant more food was being prepared and eaten at home. In turn, the consumption of…

After seeing solid retail current value growth in 2019, edible oils is expected to see an even stronger increase in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown restrictions in 2020 resulted in more time spent at home, which in turn increased consumers’ opportunities to cook, therefore boosting the sales of edible oils. In fact, there was some initial stockpiling behaviour at the onset of the pandemic as consumers worried about shortages and were eager to stock up to prevent further…

Foodservice closures due to COVID-19 will have a significant effect on the edible oil landscape in 2020. Restaurants and other eating establishing with dine-in options were required to close for two months in early 2020 and were only allowed to reopen under specific social distancing and capacity guidelines. Takeaways were allowed to continue operating relatively undisturbed with many consumers turning to takeaways as a socially distanced way to consume restaurant food. As such, while part…

COVID-19 will provide a significant boost to retail current value sales of edible oils during 2020, with growth set to reach its highest level in almost a decade. Edible oils were one of the first items on the shopping lists of local consumers when they began to stockpile essential foodstuffs during the early days of the pandemic. However, this surge in volume sales soon began to peter out, as many consumers realised it would take them a long time to consume what they had bought. The fact…

Retail sales of edible oils are set to see a dramatic leap in growth in 2020 in both volume and current value terms. The direct cause of this is the Colombian government’s response to the COVID-19 virus. On 17 March, President Iván Duque declared a state of emergency, followed by the announcement of 19-day nationwide quarantine, starting on 24 March. The country has been under varying degrees of lockdown ever since, with consumers working from home where possible, the closure of…

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese Government ensured a sufficient supply of edible oils and stable prices in order to avoid panic. The state-owned enterprise, China National Cereals, Oils & Foodstuffs Imp & Exp Corp (COFCO), provided around 300 tonnes of edible oils for the Wuhan market in order to guarantee the supply of what is considered a daily necessity to the highly affected area. COFCO also made sure that the price of the products remained stable in order to prevent…

Official lockdowns in various provinces began in mid-March in Canada, and caused foodservice outlets to shut down with the exception of restaurants in Northwest Territories. This has led to a huge decrease in foodservice sales of edible oils, with the retail channel benefiting. Consumers have been cooking at home much more given that many jobs have been performed remotely and with schools closed, giving rise to considerably higher demand for edible oils. Industry sources have noted the…

COVID-19 has benefited edible oils, with both retail volume and current retail value expected to register healthy growth. There was a degree of stockpiling, but only in the first two weeks of lockdown, and the volume and value growth is mainly attributable to increased cooking at home. Though there is expected to be a fall in foodservice volume, the increased eating at home is expected to more than compensate. One change in consumer behaviour is that larger bottles of edible oils were…

Edible oils is benefitting from lockdowns caused by COVID-19 in Belgium. Consumers are cooking and eating at home more often in general, and a degree of stockpiling is noted. This benefits all almost all edible oils, with olive oil showing the highest growth and sunflower oil also proving popular, thanks to their healthy image. Olive oil also benefits from consumers seeking superior quality products, encouraged by media reports raising awareness of AOP products (or PDO - Protected…

In 2020, sunflower oil remained by far the biggest product within edible oils, and continued to see strong growth in both retail volume and current retail value terms. Belarusians view sunflower oil as an essential product and consume it daily for cooking, frying and in salads. It is perceived as a healthy option in line with the healthy lifestyle trend. Sunflower oil has become saturated with wide shelf space and a large number of brands. Ubiquity allows consumers to purchase sunflower oil…

During 2020, edible oils will grow sales in Azerbaijan at a higher rate than in the previous year. This will in large part be due to the home seclusion trend, which led consumers to prepare and cook food at home more than usual. Whereas in the previous year olive oil saw the highest current value growth, in 2020 it is anticipated that sunflower will see the highest current value growth. The economic slowdown will lead consumers to opt for sunflower oil rather than olive oil because of the…

In Australia, foodservice outlet closures towards the end of March 2020 resulted in a shift towards retail sales of edible oil, accelerating growth in this channel as consumers started to cook more at home during the lockdown. Most types of edible oils are outperforming their growth rates in 2019 (pre-pandemic) as a result, with corn oil showing the highest volume and value sales increases. However, soy oil continues to decline as consumer perception of this format’s impact on health remains…

In Australia, foodservice outlet closures towards the end of March 2020 resulted in a shift towards retail sales of edible oil, accelerating growth in this channel as consumers started to cook more at home during the lockdown. Most types of edible oils are outperforming their growth rates in 2019 (pre-pandemic) as a result, with corn oil showing the highest volume and value sales increases. However, soy oil continues to decline as consumer perception of this format’s impact on health remains…

Edible oils will record robust growth in retail volume sales for 2020 as a whole. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Argentinians have been spending most of their time at home due to lockdown measures, social distancing and a dramatic rise in the incidence of remote working. As a result, consumers have been cooking for themselves more often instead of eating out. Edible oils is among the packaged food categories that has benefited most from this trend, as these products are…