Slovenia continues to be an attractive market for international food exporters, thanks to its strategic location in Central Europe, strong retail sector, and consumers with an appetite for both traditional and innovative products. In this article we take a look at the most important Slovenia food importers and highlight the food import trends that are shaping the market in 2024 and 2025.
Slovenia’s Food Import Landscape
Food imports account for around 5.3% of Slovenia’s total merchandise imports in 2024, a share that has been relatively stable in recent years. The total value of goods imported in 2024 reached close to USD 75 billion, with food products continuing to represent a key category.
Imports grew strongly last year, up 19.4% between January and November 2024 compared to the same period of 2023. Growth was driven especially by purchases from non-EU countries (+43%), while imports from the EU market increased only marginally (+0.6%). This diversification suggests Slovenian importers are looking beyond their traditional European partners to secure better prices and new product categories.
The outlook for 2025 remains positive, though growth is expected to moderate. According to the Slovenian government’s economic forecasts, GDP will expand by around 2% in 2025, supported by household spending and EU-funded projects. Food inflation, however, remains high – reaching 7.7% year-on-year in July 2025 – which has led to consumer boycotts and growing pressure on retailers to secure more affordable sourcing options.
Food Import Trends in 2024–2025
- Strong demand for affordable staples – With food inflation weighing on households, Slovenian importers are actively seeking competitively priced basic products such as grains, dairy, oils, and frozen goods.
- Health and specialty products – At the same time, the premium segment continues to grow. Organic, gluten-free, and plant-based foods are gaining traction, with importers like Prema and WAX leading the way.
- Diversification of sourcing – Importers are increasingly looking outside the EU to secure supply and reduce costs, offering opportunities for producers from Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
- Retail price sensitivity – Consumer boycotts in early 2025 showed how sensitive shoppers are to rising costs. Importers who can provide value while maintaining quality will strengthen their market position.
- Growth in HoReCa imports – Slovenia’s tourism rebound continues to fuel demand for specialty ingredients, seafood, and ready-to-use food solutions for restaurants and hotels.
Opportunities for Exporters
For international producers, Slovenia offers both challenges and opportunities. Rising costs make the market highly price-conscious, but importers are open to new suppliers who can deliver reliable quality at competitive rates. Niche and health-oriented categories remain attractive, while the HoReCa sector is hungry for new flavors to satisfy a growing tourist base.
Exporters looking to partner with Slovenia food importers will find a dynamic market that rewards adaptability, competitive pricing, and a focus on emerging consumer preferences.
Slovenian consumer overview
The Slovenian consumer is well informed and more demanding with market development. As in many other countries, price and quality are basic influencers of purchasing behaviour. Percentage-wise, up to 20% of Slovenians are willing to spend on quality food, while the rest are trying to find a balance between these two factors. Moreover, food purchasing for the modern Slovenian consumer is also influenced by product availability, taste, visual attractiveness, health and environmental concerns, as well as income.
Trends and opportunities
Low self-sufficiency
Although Slovenia has diverse natural agricultural resources, the disproportion in crop growing stems from an unfavourable land area (mountains, hills and forests), placing Slovenia among the countries with the most difficult conditions for agricultural production in Europe. Thus, compared to other European countries, the level of self-sufficiency in food is low in some areas and compact Slovenia is highly dependent on international imports of food. Low self-sufficiency is seen in cereals, sugar, edible oil, vegetables, coffee, tea, cocoa and spices.
Niche segment
With a population of 2 million, Slovenia is a small export market, prone to ”buy Slovenian”, thus besides the scarcity in some food segments, suppliers have to take note of the export opportunities in niche categories. As a leading country in sustainability, there is no surprise Slovenia is part of the European trend of bio/organic food items, which are mainly imported due to insufficient production, certifications, and high demand. Moreover, the health and wellness trend also encompasses consumers` focus on ingredients and supplements, and in general, food with nutritional and health benefits. Consumers are increasingly conscious about reading and understanding food labels before purchasing, as well as the methods of food processing.
Convenience and food exploration
Baked goods and breakfast cereals continue to be relevant and show a rise in demand on the Slovenian market due to being quick, convenient, alternative meal options. This trend of time-saving, convenient food, combined with rising disposal incomes created a pattern towards spending money on premium products and food items in general. As a result, ready-made meals, snacks, chocolate and confectionery items are also in this category, available in a wide range, to satisfy Slovenians` demand for various tastes while players active in these categories are also looking to bring healthier, more nutritional offerings on thr market.
Competition & sales channels
Sales channel in Slovenia are highly concentrated, with the three largest retailers, Mercator, Spar, Tus holding the majority of market share thanks to promoting good standards and a wide, international range of products.
At the same time, specialist retail shops and discounters continue to grow in popularity, through promotions while e-commerce has been gaining momentum once with changing consumer behaviour due to rising incomes, increased trust in the online channel, desire for convenience, and Covid-19 situation.
The main commercial partners of Slovenia originate from the European Union, particularly France, Germany, Italy, Austria among others, as well as former Yugoslav republics like Serbia, Croatia, or Bosnia Herzegovina.
3 Food Importers from Slovenia:
Baron International D.o.o.
Address: Obrežje 4, Radece
Phone: +386 3 568 08 51
Website: baron-com.si
Rastoder D.o.o.
Address: Dvorakova Ulica 3, Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 432 73 96
Website: rastoder.si
Vigros D.o.o.
Address: Puconci 10, Puconci
Phone: +386 2 536 10 70
Website: vigros.si
To get access to a list of more active food importers from Slovenia, you can access one of the BestFoodImporters databases.