In the most recent edition of ESM, we spoke to retailers across Europe about their private label strategies, including looking at how Intermarché Portugal has embarked on its most ambitious own-brand project to date, with the launch of PorSi, an ambitious new range.
This article first appeared in ESM Issue 3 2020.
Simplification is a key trend in private-label development, and this has been the approach at Intermarché Portugal over the past year, as the retailer introduced a new cross-category store brand, PorSi.
Following an investment of €6 million, “[the new range] standardises and aggregates some existing brands into one,” according to Martinho Lopes, Intermarché administrator. It has been developed to lift the Os Mosqueteiros-owned retailer’s private-label market share to 30%, as well as support local producers.
ESM caught up with Lopes to learn more about the range.
ESM: How is Intermarché evolving its private label strategy?
Martinho Lopes: It has always been the goal of Intermarché to offer Portuguese consumers exclusive brands that offer quality products at the best price. Last year, in which Intermarché completed its 28th year in Portugal, PorSi was launched, to reflect this mission.
PorSi offers a wide range of products, from hygiene and cleaning to food, aggregated under a single brand. In the year it was launched, PorSi had 1,000 references across most categories. By 2021, we will have 3,000 product references that will cover practically all ranges.
An important specification is that much of the PorSi range is produced domestically, with about 50% of the products made in Portugal. This was also one of the objectives of PorSi – we developed partnerships with about 200 national suppliers, which has translated into 1,500 SKUs that we sell in our stores under the PorSi label.
In what ways has PorSi been developed to tap in to specific consumer interests?
We wanted to meet the expectations of our customers, who are now more informed, healthier, ecological and sustainable.
It was also important to respond to the specific interests of consumers, and with this in mind, we created different segments under the umbrella brand: PorSi Select, PorSi BIO and PorSi Viva Bem, which represent the gourmet, dietary, balanced and organic brand segments. We also responded to demand for products with lower sugar, salt and fat content, as well as more environmentally friendly packaging.
How important is your private label offering to the identity of your retail brand?
With a presence in Portugal for three decades, Intermarché has always offered a wide range of exclusive brands, all with a common goal: quality guaranteed, at the best prices. On the one hand, we want to offer innovative products that meet the expectations of the most modern consumers.
On the other, we want to continue to offer products that span generations.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
