The supermarkets promoted by Italian consumers
Dunnhumby, a data science company of the British group Tesco, carried out a survey on 16 brands to discover strengths and weaknesses in large-scale distribution.
Better the government or the supermarket? The unanimous vote of Italian consumers in times of Covid went to large-scale distribution, which for citizens was able to react to the emergency by never missing the essentials on the shelves even in the darkest moments. If the fight against toilet paper seen in the US has not taken place here, it has also favorably affected the rapid transition to e-commerce and delivery, and the high security protocols activated even within the points of sale. the strengths of retail and which levers to activate to continue developing the business? The first edition of the Italian Grocery Retailer Preference Index (RPI) research carried out by Dunnhumby, a data science company of the English group Tesco, seeks to answer these questions, which aims to explain the relationship between the shopper's emotional bond (trust in teaches) and the share of wallet (how much it spends) and to indicate strategies for sustainable growth in the future.
The choices of Italians between premium and discount
In the research carried out last September on 16 brands and a sample of 3 thousand people, Esselunga (which on Friday formalized the partnership with Coni and will be the official supplier of Casa Italia at the Tokyo Olympics) was the one that most satisfies consumers - first on 5 out of 6 factors - followed by Conad, Coop and Eurospin. «Result obtained - he explains Gianluca Carrera, Chief Solutions Officer of Dunnhumby_- thanks to the right mix of perceived price, variety of products, positioning and service with targeted offers ». Price leverage is the first in importance in Italy, adds Carrera, unlike in Spain and Portugal where practicality (speed at checkout, position and ease of purchase) is the first criterion of choice. For this reason Eurospin and also Lidl have reached a good position, since they are able to offer low prices, in the face of more than acceptable products. What we are witnessing in Italy is the polarization between premium and discount operators. Five brands share the 52% of the market while in countries such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom the share is between 75% and 80%. A commercial fabric made up of SMEs, with few employees, low turnover and low propensity for change.
Innovation and the consumer at the center
About the post Covid "there will be no turning back from e-commerce or rather from omnichannel and innovations (click & collect, delivery, app and self checkout)", says the manager. "The differentiation of distribution systems will coexist for a long time especially in Italy, where there is ample room for growth: the 25% of Italians used the digital channel to shop but this represents only the 2% of turnover for large-scale distribution". Technology and consumer at the center will therefore make the difference with some peculiarities: the variety of fresh references and the quality (Dop and Igp) that are part of the DNA of the Italians, the people who spend the most time in the kitchen in Europe. Carrera, expat in London, is well aware of this when he talks about his first experience in a British supermarket: «Here the choice of fresh is not an option. The tomatoes are all the same and packaged ». The photography of Italian retail will be illustrated on December 15th in an online event organized by Retail Hub.
Source: The sun 24 hours
