Marco Pedroni, President of Coop Italia.
"Sales are not improving despite the drop in prices of the past few years. There are new retailers on the market and they are getting increasingly more specialised. These types of stores have grown by 5% and now represent 14% of the sector."
Regarding private labels, even though there has been a growth during the first six months of 2016 (they represented 18.7% of hyper, super and independent store sales), it must be pointed out that low-price labels lost 18.3% while premium and green private labels saw a 15.2 and 9% increase respectively.
A rendering of the supermarket of the future.
Pedroni also announced a huge restyling of the Coop-branded range. "We have always used these products to experiment, but we need to look forward. The only thing that will not change will be our values."
In addition to the restyling, 400 new products will be introduced as well as the "Origini" range "of which we will control of the entire production chain." The objective is to increase the number of Coop-branded products by 4% and to increase sales by 7%.
The supermarket of the future
Soon, a new sales format deriving from the Supermarket of the Future presented at Expo Milano will also be introduced. "We did not expect it to be so successful - 1.76 million visitors, 9,600 visits a day and a positive feedback of 96%."
A rendering of the supermarket of the future.
"The first store inspired by it opened in Turin (Fiorfiore Coop) and we decided to continue this experiment in Milan's Bicocca Village, where there is also a multiplex cinema, a big gym as well as numerous shops and restaurants. It will cover 1000 sq m."
A rendering of the supermarket of the future.
"Two ideas are at the basis of this project - first of all, stores must go back to being a social place, a sort of "square". Secondly, the information provided must be immediate, safe and accurate."