The ISM Cologne is the world’s leading trade fair for sweets and snacks!
The next ISM Cologne will take place from February 2-5, 2025, once again transforming the cathedral city of Cologne into a meeting point for the confectionery and snack industry.
Leading commercial companies from all over the world attend the ISM Cologne, as well as important buyers and importers from major retail and import chains. The unique combination of new and innovative products with traditional and established ones, along with many themed events, makes the exhibition an event that no representative of the sector can miss.
Together with ProSweets Cologne, the international trade fair for suppliers to the sweets and snacks industry, ISM represents the entire industry value chain.
Changes in consumer needs lead to new dietary trends and product innovations. As the world’s largest trade fair for confectionery and snacks, ISM upgrades, follows these trends, and strengthens the sweets market with new thematic areas.
ISM Cologne 2023 Statistics:
– Exhibitors: 1,281 from 71 countries, 88% are international exhibitors
– Visitors: 25,000 from 135 countries, 72% are international visitors
– Total exhibition area: 120,000 m²
Top 10 International Exhibitor Countries at ISM:
1. Italy 17.99%
2. Belgium 17.59%
3. Spain 12.57%
4. Turkey 10.45%
5. Netherlands 9.66%
6. France 7.01%
7. Poland 7.01%
8. China 6.22%
9. United Kingdom 6.08%
10. Greece 5.42%
Top 10 International Visitor Countries at ISM:
1. Netherlands
2. United Kingdom
3. Belgium
4. USA
5. Spain
6. Italy
7. Poland
8. France
9. Sweden
10. Turkey
ISM Visitors by Category:
– Wholesale and foreign trade: 32%
– Retail: 26%
– Importers: 19%
– Other: 6%
– Sweets, Coffee: 6%
– Online trade: 4%
– Suppliers from the “Out of home market” category (dining out, takeaway, food-to-go): 3%
– Gastronomy: 3%
– Petrol station chains: 1%
(GCIF_anuga_worldwide_brochure)
The ISM Cologne is a meeting point for businesses with participation from 20 top global commercial enterprises. Of the visitors it attracts, 73% come from executive positions and participate in purchasing decisions by 90.5%. Its international reach is significant. There are 4,000 journalistic articles from 600 journalists from 27 different countries. A large percentage, 88%, of its exhibitors are satisfied with ISM’s services.
(https://www.ism-cologne.com/trade-fair/ism/good-reasons/)
ISM Cologne Exhibition Categories:
– Cocoa, Chocolate, chocolate products
– Sugar confectionery
– Biscuits
– Snacks
– Natural snacks
– Breakfast items
– Ice cream, frozen sweets
– Raw pastes
Number of Stores in Germany (2023):
– Hypermarkets: 3,170
– Supermarkets: 913
– Discounters: 3,170
Where do Consumers Shop? and their respective market shares:
– Supermarket stores: 54%
– Hypermarkets: 28%
– Warehouse Club Stores: 5%
– Local stores: 5%
(Nielsen Global Survey)
Market Trends (2016-2019)
Restaurants in Germany:
– Chains: 9.5%
– Independent businesses: 90.55%
– 12.9% increase in Food Service revenue to 46 billion dollars
– 0.6% decrease in restaurants, i.e., 196,728
– 1.7% increase, 10.85$: out-of-home expenses
– 11% increase, 4.8 Bn ready meals
Purchasing Factors:
– Pleasure: 43.6%
– Health: 32.8%
– Nature of the product: 8.7%
– Convenience: 8.00%
– Ethics: 7.00%
(SIAL-Insights-white-paper_2022)
