Italian, French and British retailers have drawn inspiration and lessons from their American counterparts. And the chain that opened its first supermarket 96 years ago is still family-owned: in June, King Kullen appointed its first female president, Tracey Cullen, the founder’s great-granddaughter
The development of Esselunga’s superstore product range, based on the American model and supported by category management and staff motivation. By Giuseppe Caprotti
An in-depth look at the strategic categories of Esselunga’s non-food project
One of the key strategies – within the supermarket – was undoubtedly that of the own-brand range
When someone tells the truth and dispels those annoying myths, those who knew Caprotti senior well are fully aware of what sort of character he had, and what he put his eldest children – and others – through. It was high time someone set the record straight; I offer my full support to Dr Giuseppe Caprotti.
“At Esselunga, we created the wine sections: we adopted the green colour for the fittings with my father, in Berlin, at the KaDeWe department store.” *Le Ossa dei Caprotti*, page 205
Not everyone is probably aware that one of Caprotti’s factories has become an Esselunga Superstore
“And so, the idea of the supermarket ultimately proved to be one of the moves that led the United States to win the cultural and economic game it played against us on the chessboard of Europe” Alessandro Baricco
Dear Dr Caprotti, I was saddened to hear of the forthcoming demolition of the factory in Ponte, which your father set out to build and to which he devoted a significant part of his life. It is undoubtedly a place that, for many people, has meant much more than simply a ‘place of work’: it has been a professional and social hub, a place to meet and forge new bonds. It has certainly been a source of hope for a better future, both for oneself and for one’s family…
