Discounters and the online channel were the top performers in the Italian large-scale retail distribution sector this summer, at the expense of hypermarkets, a new study has shown.
In its annual report, Coop Italia highlighted 63% annual growth in the discount channel in the period June to August 2020.
Elsewhere, it noted that e-commerce reported 48% growth, the traditional channel grew by 28%, while superstores saw sales rise by 21%.
However, sales were down by around 62% for hypermarkets, and by 24% for independent retailers.
Consumer Trends
The report found that shopper priorities have also changed, with the typical shopping cart now including more basic ingredients (+28.5% on an annual basis), packaged, Italian and gourmet food (+16.9%), ethnic (+15.4%) and vegan food (+6.9%).
The report predicts that discounters, private label and local trends will be key drivers of the Italian food chain going forward, while innovation, digital and sustainability will also gain in importance.
Presenting the 2020 Coop Report, CEO Marco Pedroni said Coop Italia expects to close the year with a slight increase in turnover (1-1.5%), exceeding €13 billion in its retail arm.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
