Frozen food chain Picard has been named the favoured brand of the French for the second year running, according to a survey by the consultancy company OC&C. The research was carried out among 5,000 people in the country; it found that while Picard was seen as expensive, the retailer reigned over its counterparts due to the quality and range of products on offer to customers and the ease of shopping in its stores.
Low pricing was not a guarantee of popularity with shoppers, said OC&C, adding that they valued quality and range of products on offer also. "The leaders in each sector are rarely those that win on price," they explained. Leading supermarkets are now competing with discount stores, "by improving their prices and with neighbourhood stores and new, more attractive concepts", stated the report.
Discount chain Lidl fell to 62nd place this year; the retailer was recorded in the survey as being the brand that had lost the most ground. Supermarket chain Casino came 64th in the listing. (22 Sept)
© 2011 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
