Domori chocolate is ready to land in the large-scale retail channel. The Illy Polo del Gusto brand is preparing a new line dedicated to the large-scale retail trade: this is the news expected in the coming weeks at the home of the Polo del Gusto subsidiary, the Illy group's subholding that handles all business outside coffee, with subsidiaries Dammann Frères, Agrimontana, Prestat, Pintaudi and Achillea. Domori is also the brand that is responsible for distributing Polo del Gusto products in Italy.

For the company, this is an important step in strengthening its positioning, since as it has always been a premium brand, it has so far distributed its chocolate in selected outlets. A complete collection will arrive in supermarkets, with four variants of 70%, 85%, 90% and 100% raw material bars.

Other news concerns Trieste, the city where Illy's business is based. "On September 16 we will open the Trieste store, which will offer products from all the group's brands, as well as others always under the banner of exclusivity -explains Riccardo Illy , president and ceo of Polo-. The signage will be the same as the e-commerce: the two channels will be perfectly integrated, so as to offer a complete experience to consumers, leaving them the possibility to choose the path best suited to their needs". Work to renovate the store on Via Einaudi, already under the illy shop sign, got under way in the summer.

All of this is, in fact, a new step of growth for the company born from an idea of Gianluca Franzoni , founder and now president of the company, who wanted to put his 20 years of research and experimentation to good use by launching a company focused on the higher end of the market, which by joining the Illy group has obtained a further boost for growth.

And that's not all, as the subholding company is preparing to announce news on the governance front. According to information from Trieste's "Piccolo", the other subsidiary Prestat (a British chocolate company that, among other things, is a supplier to the royal family) will soon formalize the entry of Jean-Pierre Willemsen as general manager. The Dutch manager, formerly at Laurent-Perrier, was Domori's chief executive officer from 2013 to 2018 and later a consultant, also in the food industry.

Among the news, in June Domori announced its entry into the ice cream business with Gelato Libre, following the company's philosophy: enhancement of biodiversity, short recipe and strict supply chain. Also noteworthy is the reorganization of the family group with the creation of the srl Exgi by Anna Rossi (wife of the late Ernesto Illy ) and her sons Andrea and Riccardo Illy, as well as the latter's daughter Daria , who has bare ownership of part of her father's shares.

The new investment holding company sees the absolute majority (50.06% to be precise) in the hands of the family safe Raa, the box created last year to liquidate the other brother Francesco and controlled with equal shares by the three siblings Riccardo, Anna and Andrea , and the rest of the shares in the hands of Daria (31.3%, with usufruct to their father) and Riccardo (18.64%, with usufruct to their mother Anna ), with the latter also holding the position of director.

As far as the financial statements are concerned, Domori closed 2022 by close to 28 million euros (27.9 million euros, precisely) +6% compared to 2021: Agrimontana (+16%), Prestat (+30%), Pintaudi (+52 %) also did well, while Polo del Gusto closed with a total business volume of 110 million euros.