Category: Uncategorized

September 5, 2019
Blog_TopReasons_Export_Italy

According to The World Bank, Italy has an export-oriented economy and is the tenth-largest exporter and the eleventh world importer, with a trade that represents almost 59.5% of its GDP.

Here are some of the top reasons to export to Italy:

 

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Santander Trade states that “Italian consumers are demanding quality products. Therefore, they will be more concerned about the quality of customer service than about promotions. The aging population (Italy is projected to have a median age of almost 50 years by 2030) drives an increasing demand for specialist products and services.

 

TRADE AGREEMENTS

According to Gov.uk, “Italy is a member of the EU, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international bodies. Goods manufactured in the UK are exempt from import duties”. The main exports of goods by value from the UK to Italy in 2014 were:

  • crude petroleum
  • basic chemicals, fertilizers and nitrogen compounds, plastics and synthetic rubber
  • motor vehicles
  • pharmaceutical products and preparations
  • natural gas”.

HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES

The Italian National Health System (SSN) is going through an in-depth reform and modernization process to consider:

  • aging population
  • the move of patients to outpatient care
  • increased focus on prevention
  • acceleration of e-health development

This means that there are opportunities for:

  • innovative equipment and medical devices
  • diagnostic (portable) equipment and kits
  • innovative daily life aids for elderly and disabled
  • e-care and e-health devices
  • food supplements and dietary foods

PREMIUM

This is important because for the Italian consumer, premium doesn`t necessarily mean more expensive, like The World Bank states; “Make no mistake. It’s not about charging more. Only 15% of Italians think higher prices are a sign of a premium product. Instead, they focus on the quality of materials and ingredients”.

 

We are very familiar with the Italian market, having successfully introduced products for very diverse industries. If you are interested in taking your products to Italy, just contact us so we can build a strong market entry strategy for your business!

 

SOURCES:

https://en.portal.santandertrade.com/international-shipments/italy/exporting-products

https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/italy-italie/market-facts-faits-sur-le-marche/0001123.aspx?lang=eng

https://www.nordeatrade.com/fi/explore-new-market/italy/economical-context

https://www.wordbank.com/uk/blog/italian-consumer-behaviour/

https://www.export.gov/article?series=a0pt0000000PAu5AAG&type=Country_Commercial__kavhttps://en.portal.santandertrade.com/analyse-markets/italy/reaching-the-consumers

June 27, 2019
ConsumidorAleman

Germany is the fourth largest economy in the world and number one in the European Union, (Germany contributes to 28% of the Gross Domestic Product of the European Union). Business Development Germany says that “The country’s economy is largely fueled by its service sector, including the tourism and banking industries. The industry contributes to almost 70% of the country’s GDP and employs around 72% of the working population” Its total population is approximately 82 million people, so it has become one of the countries with the highest consumption rates in the European Union and second-lowest unemployment rate.

 

According to Adobe Spark, “Germans are being good at managing money, with a strong propensity to save and invest, following a mindset ‘save now, have later’, rather than ‘have now, pay later’. German consumers today still prefer to use cash, with Germany remaining one of the most cash-intensive advanced economies on earth”.

So, we can for sure say that German consumer is very concerned about his future and the quality of life he will have then.

 

DIGITAL HABITS

Research from Mintel revealed that “as many as 93% of German consumers have shopped online in the last year (2017). Furthermore, it appears that older consumers aged over 55 are beginning to realize the advantages of shopping online. Indeed, the proportion of over 55s having made an online purchase reached 90% in 2017”.

 

But contrary to their online shopping habits, the use of social networks is not as high in Germany as in other countries (in fact, it is considerably lower). This may be due to the need for privacy inherent in the German consumer. Concerns about how their data will be used is an important factor, in fact there are strict laws governing how their personal data is collected, used and shared.

 

According to Adobe Spark, “Germans tend to view the Internet as a source of information and use it more as a passive form of communication. Whilst online privacy is limiting social media take up, German consumers’ desire for low prices and convenience is driving growth in the value of internet retailing with dramatic growth in the value of mobile internet retailing in recent years. Germany has the largest number of online buyers in Europe – 71% of the German population aged 14 and above shop online, representing some 50 million people”.

 

PURCHASING POWER

German consumers have high spending power. Santander Trade says that “Consumers over 50 years of age constitute the biggest high buying power group, with 50% of the buying power per capita. This results in very high demand for products related to this part of the population (health, entertainment, etc.). The German consumer shows a high tendency to compare prices and use discounted shops”.

 

LIFESTYLE

German consumers are accustomed to comforting and convenience (mainly because they can afford this kind of lifestyle), however, trends show that more and more consumers are becoming aware of their choices regarding how environmentally friendly they are the products they want.

 

Remember, if you would like to introduce your product or service to Germany, Infinitus can help you! Our experience covers areas such as Consumer goods, Biotech, ICT, Education, Natural products, OTC products, Pharmaceutical products, and food and beverages industries.

 

SOURCES

https://en.portal.santandertrade.com/analyse-markets/germany/reaching-the-consumers

https://import-export.societegenerale.fr/en/country/germany/market-consumer

https://spark.adobe.com/page/zPwDF/

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/what-german-consumers-want-tomorrow

https://www.mintel.com/press-centre/retail-press-centre/93-of-german-consumers-today-shop-online

https://www.voguebusiness.com/consumers/germany-fashion-retail-market-gap-ganni

https://europe.businesschief.com/leadership/2285/Top-10-economies-in-Europe

April 4, 2019
WomenExporting

According to the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, women participation in the economy of the country over the past decades has been increasing more and more. However, women are still less likely to own a business than men. Also, the are less likely to participate in international markets. Why is that?

 

Industry

This could be partly explained by the fact that female business owners tend to participate in industries that usually work on local markets.

 

Business Size

Businesses owned by women tend to be smaller than the ones owned by men (and they feel that because of their size, they wouldn’t be the right candidates to export.

 

But it is also a fact that women that own a business are more educated than their male counterparts (which would give them an edge if they would decide to export since it has been reported that SMESs whose owners have high levels of education are more likely to export).

 

This is important because (as stated by the Canadian Trade commissioner service) “SMEs contribute significantly to the strength of the Canadian economy, but exporting enterprises outperform non-exporters along a number of dimensions. Exporting firms are more productive, they have higher revenues, they invest more in research and development, and they have been shown to pay higher wages”

 

Cultural issues

A report published by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation states that an important reason for this gap are “Prohibitive cultural and social norms ranging from gender division of housework to women’s business leadership skills”. Women who own businesses tend to be younger and less experienced when compared to male businesses owners.

 

By 2017, Canadian women were starting new businesses at a higher rate that women in any other G20 country.

 

Important facts about female businesses owners

According to The Balance, and their extract of the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Canada Report on Women's Entrepreneurship:

  • Nearly 85% of Canadian women surveyed indicated they were interested in starting a business.
  • Most are highly educated - the vast majority having college diplomas or university degrees.
  • 3% were involved in newer businesses and 10% in established businesses (those operating for more than 3.5 years). For men the figures were 20.3% and 7.1%, respectively.
  • Globally, Canadian women rank 1st in terms of involvement with newer businesses, ahead of the U.S., Britain, and other innovation-based economies, and 6th for established businesses.
  • The consumer services sector accounts for over half (54.4%) of early-stage female businesses, followed by business services at 28.2%.
  • Female business owners are on average less likely to engage in international trade than their male counterparts. For businesses that had 25% or more of their customer base outside the country, 31.7% were run by women and 37% by me”.

Are you a woman who owns a business and you are interested in exporting? We can help you to take your business to the next level. Contact us if you are thinking about growing your business by exporting your products or services! We can talk about your business and goals so you can get an idea of the services and results that you could expect from Infinitus.

 

SOURCES

https://www.folio.ca/canadians-are-most-active-women-entrepreneurs-in-the-world/

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-626-x/11-626-x2018083-eng.htm

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/statistics-on-canadian-women-in-business-2948029

https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/businesswomen-femmesdaffaires/2016-MFO_SMES-PME_EDMF.aspx?lang=eng

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniechiu/2018/10/05/female-entrepreneurs-are-going-global-new-policy-attention-may-close-the-gap/#433938702df7