Marco Antonio Merino, marketing manager of CENCOSUD supermarkets
The marketing manager of the Peruvian retailer Cencosud, Marco Antonio Merino Montani, gave a conference at Expoalimentaria 2014 regarding changes in consumer habits; changes driven by economic progress which have given way to "a society in which each individual has a number of unique features and demands, making differentiated policies necessary."
Society in general has become more competitive and this is also reflected in consumption, with a customer who is more empowered and more connected, giving them a greater influence.
On this point, Marco Antonio emphasises that "today there is no longer a prototypical opinion leader; he or she can be any friend or acquaintance of yours. The customer also tends to be less faithful, which implies a great challenge in terms of marketing."
The executive also assures that current trends are focused on value. "Greater value for money is pursued; consumers evaluate offers and their purchases are often multi-channel, i.e., from different vendors and sources."
Another noteworthy aspect is that brands are very important for consumers, regardless of their purchasing power. According to Marco Antonio, "the price is only a determining factor as far as a minimum standard of quality is reached; brands also are a tool that serves to create an emotional bond with our customers."
Marco Antonio explains that "in order to achieve client loyalty, the customer must be motivated to visit the store as often as possible." To this end, being geographically close is essential, but also to regulate the special offer periods in order to prevent consumers from accumulating stock and slowing down shelf stacking.
Customers today are also very concerned about their health and welfare; this leads to an increase in demand for functional products and interest in their composition, but at the same, they pursue to get enjoyment out of those products.
"Convenience and the value of time are also very important. What matters most therefore is not for the client to adapt to our organisation, but for our organisation to adapt to different clients and their individual needs and desires," says Marco Antonio.
For their part, young consumers are characterised by a higher purchasing power than before, with a tendency to prefer immediacy, to buy little and to do everything by themselves with automated systems. "He/she is also a customer who is not faithful to brands, as their interests change depending on the advantages on offer."
Marco Antonio, therefore, states that it is important to remember that there are many types of consumer, so it is essential to invest in diversification and in the expansion of express format establishments which ensure the provision of immediacy.
"We need, above all, to introduce instruments that give us the ability to find out what individual consumers want to be able to create products that meet all their needs," concludes the marketing manager of Cencosud.