A survey conducted by Coop Italia suggests consumers are likely to increase their spending on food in the coming year.
Around 13% of customers surveyed by co-operative said they expected to increase the value of their food-shopping cart, while 8% said they would cut food expenses.
Coop Italia, a system of 115 Italian consumers’ co-operatives with over 7.5 million members, was the country’s leading grocery retailer in 2016, with a 10% market share.
The Italian food retail sector is dominated by traditional small grocery stores, which represent the largest segment of the food retail sector, followed by open-air markets.
Coop Italia also accounts for 30% of all private-label food products sold in Italy. Around 93% of customers surveyed by Coop Italia said they were “intrigued” by new products and services offered by the retailer.
Its shoppers said they tended to buy safely sourced products (20%). In contrast, customers aged 18-29 preferred low-cost products. In addition, 74% of customers said they would prefer a supermarket without cash tills and lines.
In December 2016, Coop Italia launched its “supermarket of the future”, a flagship store on Bicocca University campus in Milan. The supermarket features large interactive tables and real-time data screens that provide product information and personalise the shopping trip.
While shopping, consumers can use real-time data visualisation screens, which feature content including Coops’ brand values, daily deals, recipe suggestions, a social media stream and lists of top-selling products across different categories. The pilot project was first showcased at the Expo Milan in 2015.
