Ho.Re.Ca.: a supply chain with a turnover of over 107 billion, sustainability is among the challenges of the future

In 2024, the Ho.Re.Ca. (Hotel, Restaurant, Café) supply chain recorded 107.1 billion in turnover , up 23% compared to 2019, and 53.8 billion in added value , employing 1.5 million workers in 382 thousand companies and at the same time making investments of 2.7 billion euros . This is what emerges from the Strategic Report 2025 Feeding the Country, Connecting People. Horeca as an Ecosystem , presented to the Chamber of Deputies by Italgrob (Italian Federation of Horeca Distributors) and AFDB (Association for the Training and Development of Horeca Distribution) and edited by The European House – Ambrosetti ( TEHA Group ), with the aim of enhancing the ecosystem that supports out-of-home food consumption in Italy and which aims to understand the evolution of the reference scenario for the Ho.Re.Ca. sector.

“In Italy, a real industrial policy has been lacking for years, because the idea has spread that the State should generate wealth due to a deep-rooted prejudice against businesses. On the contrary, we believe that the State should support entrepreneurial initiative,” said Gianluca Cantalamessa , member of the Senate Commission on Industry, Commerce, Tourism, Agriculture and Agri-food Production. “'Feeding the Country' means much more than simply feeding it: it means enhancing the entire agri-food supply chain, creating places of sociality, overseeing the territory, strengthening national identity. It is, ultimately, a real mission. When we talk about the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, we are not just referring to an economic sector, but to a social sphere that is fundamental for the well-being and cohesion of the country.”

As the study shows, Ho.Re.Ca. distribution in 2024 generated 15.3 billion euros in turnover and 2.7 billion euros in added value, employing 57 thousand direct and indirect workers, a category that includes seasonal workers, VAT agents and logistics services. The Ho.Re.Ca. distribution universe has approximately 3,400 active companies and has made investments of 107 million euros . In 2024, beverage-only distributors account for approximately a quarter of the total turnover recorded by Ho.Re.Ca. distribution (26.8%), while the main share remains that managed by specialized food wholesalers (47.4%).

Food consumption , both at home and out of home, has been stagnant for more than a decade. However, consumption is a key variable for the country system: relaunching out-of-home consumption is synonymous with growth and social development. Food and non-food consumption represents almost 60% of Italian GDP in 2024. Spending on food consumption also shows strong heterogeneity compared to the Italian regions: in Southern Italy, “out of home” food spending is worth about 60% compared to Northern Italy.

The extended agri-food supply chain , within which Ho.Re.Ca. plays a key role in supporting food consumption outside the home, bringing agri-food products to the tables of Italians, is a strategic asset for the competitiveness of the country, among the most representative of Made in Italy and growing in recent years despite the macroeconomic context: without it, 20% of the GDP could not be generated: 263 billion euros in turnover, of which 186 billion from Food & Beverage and 77 billion from the agricultural sector.

According to Italgrob associates, interviewed in the research to monitor and analyze the sentiment of Ho.Re.Ca. Distribution operators on the scenario of out-of-home consumption in Italy and on the evolutions for the sector, the reduction in purchasing power (92%) will be the most challenging factor for companies in the sector in the near future. To acquire a significant competitive advantage in the long term, companies operating in the extended Ho.Re.Ca. supply chain will have to invest in the immediate future, taking into account aspects such as the demographic winter (single people over 65 dedicate just 2.4% of their average monthly expenditure to Ho.Re.Ca., compared to 8.3% of young people between 18 and 34); the polarization of consumption ; sustainability ; artificial intelligence .

“The data emerging from the 2025 Strategic Report confirm the importance of the entire Ho.Re.Ca. supply chain as an economic and social driver for our country,” said Antonio Portaccio , President of Italgrob. “Ho.Re.Ca. Distribution represents a pillar on which the out-of-home consumption system is based. The investments made in 2024 demonstrate the sector’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and service modernization. To relaunch growth and support businesses, clear rules, support measures, tax incentives and a regulatory framework that accompanies the digital and environmental transition are needed. The sector is ready to do its part: now we need a shared Agenda to enhance an ecosystem that contributes every day to the competitiveness of Made in Italy and social well-being.”

TEHA has identified some guidelines for institutions and political decision-makers, summarised in the Ho.Re.Ca. Distribution Agenda , based on three actions: obtaining institutional recognition for operators, through shared legislation or the establishment of a " special list " of distributors; promoting the sustainable transition of the sector by strengthening its competitiveness, for example through the introduction of a controlled return system for plastic packaging; finally, enhancing the digitalisation of the sector by intervening on training and skills.

“Through the activation of supply chains and subcontracting, the extended Horeca supply chain supports the generation of 125.2 billion euros of added value in Italy, equal to 5.7% of the Italian GDP in 2024” declared Benedetta Brioschi , Partner and Head of the Food&Retail and Sustainability Scenario, The European House – Ambrosetti. “In this context, Horeca Distribution plays a key strategic role as a link between the food industry and the Horeca channel. A modern, sustainable and innovative Horeca Distribution supports not only the consumption of quality products, but also the entire extended agri-food chain, one of the pillars of Made in Italy. Investing in Horeca means responding to consumer demands: in 2023, the incidence of the Horeca channel on average family spending on consumption reached the highest incidence in the last 10 years, settling at 5.7% of total consumption and exceeding the 2019 pre-Covid figure”.