Loyal consumers

The decrease in the frequency in the stores, the increase in the average turnover and the tendency to stock up more, it is no longer driving as before. These are some of the many changes that 2020 has highlighted and that, in part, are also present in 2021. However, despite this, Penny Market affirms that they have continued to grow thanks to the loyalty of their customers.

To illustrate the changes that are taking place in the world of modern distribution and, in particular, what is happening at the Rewe group outlets in Italy, namely, Penny Market , is your marketing director, Bruno bianchini .

«If we delve into the detail of the consumer's shopping cart, we see many changes compared to the past, starting with the great growth of all the products that have been defined by "home cooks", basic categories that were once stagnant. It is a fact figure since everything is ready to eat and convenience has decreased” highlights Bruno.

Fresh fruits and vegetables have been well kept

If bulk and assisted service suffered, especially during the first shutdown where excitement and the sudden onset of the pandemic guided consumer choices, in general everything that is fresh and very fresh turned out to be very important departments as well.

“We threw our hearts into the hurdle and just in May last year we introduced fresh fish in more than 25 stores and the response was immediately excellent” continues Bianchini, who also stresses the importance of establishing long-term relationships with all suppliers, starting with those of the horticultural sector. “Our clients look for quality and we do not want surprises at the point of sale, that is why our first driving force is to have consolidated agreements.”

The V range: exotic and small fruits

According to Bianchini, it is also increasingly difficult to draw such a clear dividing line between discount stores and the rest of the large retailers, for many reasons, not counting the convenience of the former that remains. "The difference now is getting weaker and weaker because the shopping experience is getting thinner and thinner and the definitions that we have been dragging along for some time no longer apply, especially for new generations," says Penny's manager. Market.

“The work we are doing on our brands, for example, is going in this direction,” he says. But some ongoing trends in the produce department are also a sign that the time has probably come to abandon old categories. “The fifth range is growing with us, as is the interest in small and exotic fruits,” he mentions. 

«Omnichannel is our bet»

Penny Market has its own e-commerce channel, pennyacasa.it, active both in Milan and in Catania and Turin. The approach that at this moment moves the strategies of the sign are those that lead not so much to a contrast between physical and virtual channels, as to a true integration. “We are moving towards omnichannel because the consumer seeks interaction between the two channels. Every time we realize more ”affirms the director.

The consumer himself looks for a product online, while at the point of sale he acts differently. “We started with our assortment also online and this allowed us to understand how our customers move - concludes Bianchini -. Electronic commerce has allowed us, on the one hand, to intercept new customers and, on the other, to integrate and increase that of our regular customers ”.