As competitors apparently retreat, Brio says it has strengthened its position with quality-focused strategy and international expansion, with foreign markets now accounting for more than half of turnover
Italian organic fruit and veg specialist Brio, part of Gruppo Alegra, has bucked the market trend with a 21 per cent annual increase in sales to €67.3mn for the 2024/25 financial year.
“In a national market experiencing very little growth, our 21 per cent increase is a truly remarkable result,” commented the company’s president Gianni Amidei.
“The key finding isn’t just growth, but the fact that it clearly indicates an increase in our market share in a sector that isn’t currently experiencing significant growth in consumption, as it did a few years ago.
“This is a sign that Brio has succeeded in recent years: a broad range of organic products, quality and service at the core of its offering, and a profound reorganisation that has encompassed people, commercial strategies, partner selection, and processing methods.”
During a meeting on 26 August, it was confirmed that Amidei will continue to lead the company, alongside new vice-president Aristide Castellari, currently also president of the Agrintesa cooperative which supplies produce to Alegra.
“My heartfelt thanks go to the board of directors for their renewed confidence in my appointment for the next three years,” Amidei commented, “and an even greater thank you goes to Albino Migliorini, outgoing vice-president and a key figure at Brio for many years, an inexhaustible source of commitment and support.”
He dded: “I am pleased to welcome the new vice-president, Aristide Castellari, president of Agrintesa: his experience and expertise will be invaluable in addressing future challenges.”
International partnership
Brio’s recent growth has apparently been driven by its performance in foreign markets, which now account for more than half of its turnover.
Domestically, meanwhile, Brio has reaped the benefits of what it describes as a commitment to continuity and quality.
“Paradoxically, stagnation in domestic consumption has paid off,” explains sales manager Mauro Laghi. “Several players who entered the sector during the organic boom are now struggling or have returned to focusing on conventional products. Meanwhile, Brio, specialising in organic products, has built a reputation for reliability, consistency, and solidity year after year; today, customers are looking for precisely this type of service.”
Also of strategic importance is the firm’s collaboration with Alce Nero, a historic organic brand with which Brio is a partner for premium fruit and vegetables.
“Today, many retail chains, especially small and medium-sized ones, which had launched or planned organic private label projects during the years of double-digit growth, are taking a step back and choosing to rely on a recognised, reliable, and established brand like Alce Nero for their product offering,” Laghi continues.
“It’s a brand that brings value and guarantees results in the department, and this is also contributing to our growth, with our balance sheet value more than doubling in just a few years.”
Mass market
During the past year, Brio has also strengthened its presence in the mass catering channel, a segment that includes public facilities such as schools, as well as private businesses.
“Our goal is to manage more effectively a growing but still under-valued channel for organic products,” Amidei explains. “In addition to school cafeterias, where we are already firmly established but still have room for growth, particularly in northern Italy, I’m thinking of contexts such as hospitals, restaurants, and company cafeterias, where organic products are almost nonexistent.
“Our supply chain is extremely short, from field to plate, and we are able to supply directly from the farm to the cafeteria: an important guarantee, also in terms of safety and traceability. Furthermore, this channel allows us to truly enhance the entire production, prioritising authentic quality over aesthetics.”
