Ideas on the internationalisation of Italian large-scale retail trade from the book “Le Ossa dei Caprotti” at the Stati Generali dell’Export, Milan 11 October 2024

[vc_column_textPalazzo Reale, Milan 11 October. Updated 11 November 2024

I take this opportunity to add the post du Francesco Chironi on LinkedIN :

𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐋 𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐎 : 𝐔𝐍 𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀, 𝐒𝐈 𝐏𝐔𝐎’ 𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐄 ?

Milan, Palazzo Reale. Protagonists of certain authority, for what they have done so far in their respective professional experiences, debate amiably offering “for free” invaluable insights to the entire food retail scene: they are Giuseppe Maria Giorgio Caprotti, Mario Gasbarrino and Lorenzo Zurino Jr.

I record some of them :

• 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐨 , new openings with zero balance. Chains of inter-regional, most often inter-provincial dimension.

• 𝐏𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢 , widespread owner-management, most often associated in volume-discounting purchasing groups.

• 𝐈𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐝𝐚𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢 full of Italians who consume Italian, seek it out and pay handsomely for it at the most varied catering outlets or by buying it wherever products from Italy are offered.

𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐔𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐀𝐋𝐋’𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐎, Eataly does not represent what I imagine, due to a question of assortment and prices.

𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐀 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄?

👉One idea, one project, one FORMAT: yet at home we already have examples of prototypes to be perfected, perhaps merged, and of organisations already fit to support development abroad. I am thinking of the Viaggiator Goloso (Unes) prima maniera, the Esselunga brands and formats, Gastronauta, Cortilia, and everything that is gourmet food, with a measured, excellent and accessible quality/price ratio

👉INSPIRED entrepreneurial spirit, open, innovative, full of energy, perhaps accompanied by mentors of depth: I’m not naming names, in our house we have them.

👉RETAILER LOGIC: we export A COMPLETE PACKAGE, unambiguously identifiable and NOT single random products in competition with the industry, aware that the retailer’s success requires VOLUME AND CONVENIENCE, that the customer must be given access to what he otherwise could not, MAKE THE IRRAGIBLE ACCESSIBLE

👉A well-equipped DEPOT to start, well-organised logistics, an acquisition to continue

👉A LIMITED INVESTMENT to start up, and openness to third-party financing to continue, including through the stock exchange, with a focus on maintaining control but without the obligation to own 100% of the company.

👉 Taking courage from the numerous foreign examples of giants created in just a few decades and with enormous market potential

👉A MANAGERIAL MENTALITY to govern the idea, project management and organisation, a level management staff to support

𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐀 ?

Nothing at all! In my opinion, in Italy there is already everything to try, apart from 𝐈𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐆𝐈𝐎. Be careful, though: the time to try is not infinite.

Read about it : The 500 best online shops : none of the Italian large-scale retail trade, apart from Eataly and Amazon. And the reasoning made for Coop and Conad also applies to others, such as Vegè, Crai and Selex. On the discount chain founded with Esselunga and mentioned in my speech read here.

Thanks to Lorenzo for the opportunity