Italian supermarket chain Conad is introducing a new online grocery service, offering home delivery from customers' local stores.
The service has been developed by Conad's largest cooperative Pac 2000A, which is based in the central Italian region of Umbria, alongside IT and retail logistics company Intema.
The two partners have set up a new company called Eurecart, which has designed a proprietary e-commerce platform and payment solution, with logistics support for each store.
The service will deliver fresh, frozen and grocery items directly to consumers' doors, for a fee that varies depending on the value of the order.
It is also equipped with analytical technology that will be able to construct customised discounts that are personalised to the habits, consumption and tastes of each consumer.
Expansion Plans
The service is currently active in 25 supermarkets in Rome, but the company plans to have expanded it to 80 by the end of the year, followed by another 100 in 2019, including stores in other major cities, reports La Gazzetta dello Mezziogiorno.
"We did not want to focus entirely on digital," said Danilo Toppetti, general director of Pac 2000 A. "This is why we have invested in the integration between a single point of sale and the consumer, incorporating technologies but without excluding human relationships."
Meanwhile, Conad is investing €38 million in a multi-channel promotional campaign this year, up 3% compared to 2017, while also boosting investment in the digital channel from 12% to 15%, according to La Repubblica.
The aim is to strengthen the retailer's market position, after it ended 2017 with a turnover of €13 billion, posting 5% growth year-on-year. This was double the average market growth.
© 2018 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
