“Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti!” the famous Italian actress Sophia Loren once put it.
It could be argued that there is no dish more synonymous with a country than pasta is with Italy. It has been part of Italian culture for centuries and continues to bring joy to food lovers, its sheer versatility enabling it to be used almost inexhaustibly in new recipes and concepts.
Using data from Kantar’s annual Brand Footprint* rankings (for 2022), ESM examines the top five pasta brands in Italy.
1. Barilla
Barilla is the number-one most-chosen pasta brand in Italy, and the fourth most-chosen brand in Italy overall (behind Mulino Bianco, Kinder and Coca-Cola), with a CRP score of 176 – a slight decline, year on year. Penetration increased (to 77.9), however, there was a small decrease in purchase frequency (to 8.4), year on year.
Founded in 1877 as a small bread and pasta shop, Barilla sold 2.1 million tonnes of products in 100 countries in 2023.
Turnover grew by 18%, year on year – to €4.6 billion in 2022 – but the EBITDA margin fell from 13% to 10% in the same period, due to a significant increase in the prices of raw materials and energy supplies.
2. Divella
Divella is Italy’s second most-chosen pasta brand, earning a CRP score of 97 in the Kantar Brand Footprint rankings (putting it ninth overall). Its penetration dropped from 44.7 to 43.2, however, it recorded a boost in purchase frequency (to 8.3), year on year.
Famous for its pasta, sauces, and bakery products, Divella recorded a turnover of €300 million in 2021.
The company was founded in 1890 by Francesco Divella, who built his first flour mill in Rutigliano, a small agricultural town in the province of Bari.
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3. Rana
Rana is Italy’s third most popular pasta brand, with a CRP score of 84 (putting it in 13th position in the overall rankings). Its penetration decreased (from 52.1 to 50), but its frequency of purchase (6.2) remained the same, year on year.
In 2022, Rana achieved consolidated revenues of €1.2 billion, an operating profit of €14.9 million, and a net profit of €21 million.
In December 2023, Rana announced it that it had planned to bring part of its production back to Italy, as part of a large investment of €78 million to expand its domestic facilities over the next three years.
4. Buitoni
Buitoni is Italy’s fourth most-chosen pasta brand, achieving a CRP score of 68 in the Brand Footprint rankings (placing 18th overall). Its penetration dropped from 59.2 to 56, while its purchase frequency also decreased (to 4.7), year on year.
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Established in 1827, its large portfolio includes fresh pasta, pizza, puff pastry, and sauces.
5. La Molisana
Italy’s fifth most popular pasta is La Molisana, which boasts a CRP score of 46 (putting it in 40th position overall). The brand saw an increase in penetration (from 41.7 to 41.9), according to the Brand Footprint rankings, while frequency went up marginally (from 4.1 to 4.2).
La Molisana was founded in 1912 by the Carlone family, as an artisan workshop.
In 2023, Molisana’s exports grew in double digits, to exceed €110 million for the pasta category alone.
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*About The Methodology
The Kantar Brand Footprint rankings reveal the brands that are winning at the ‘moment of truth’, indicating the number of times that they are chosen by shoppers. Independent of revenue, it reveals the decisions that consumers are making at the point of sale. The consumer reach points (CRPs) of each brand are calculated by multiplying three metrics: household population, penetration (percentage of households buying a brand), and consumer choice/frequency. CRPs are Kantar’s measure of ranking the most successful brands by the number of times that they are chosen by consumers throughout the year. Note that all CRP figures shown measure millions of consumer reach points, i.e. a CRP of 150 indicates 150 million consumer reach points.
Discover the ten most popular food brands in Italy here.
