The growing competitiveness of the Portuguese retail sector is forcing major players to differentiate to offset the advances of their rivals.
There is increasing focus on new trends that favour innovation, especially in agriculture and food production, with a special emphasis on health and a reduction in the consumption of salt, sugar and fats, as well as meal solutions developed in-house by retailers.
Meal solutions are one of the main focus pillars of Pingo Doce, part of Jerónimo Martins Group.
Production Kitchens
A company source told daily Jornal Económico that Pingo Doce is the only banner in the market that features its own food production facility adapted to the constant change in consumers' eating habits.
The Jerónimo Martins Group operates three central kitchens and will soon inaugurate a new one, located in Aveiro, which will supply stores in the northern part of the country.
Meal solutions are a business area with strong growth, confirmed by the retailer’s figures for 2018: five million meals sold, 10,000 tons of food produced in central kitchens, and a 42% increase in Christmas and New Year orders.
Private Label Excellence
Last year, a GfK study revealed that Pingo Doce’s private label brand was, for the second year running, considered the best brand by Portuguese consumers.
The group has managed to reduce salt (32 tonnes), fat (20.2 tonnes) and saturated fat (116 tonnes) in the recipes of its private label products.
Proximity is another strategic aspect of Pingo Doce's operations. With 432 stores across mainland Portugal and Madeira, the retailer welcomes around 700,000 consumers daily through its doors. For 2019, the company plans to open 10 more Pingo Doce stores.
© 2019 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
