People, Environment & Culture

European Court: The Terra dei Fuochi Case and Consequences

“(…) the European Court also addresses itself to the national legislator, requiring him to introduce criminal laws proportionate to the seriousness of facts that cause damage both to the environment and to the lives of people living in a particular area. It is also crucial, according to the Court, that statutes of limitation are guaranteed to be compatible with the complexity of proceedings and that the government refrains from adopting measures, such as criminal shields, that guarantee the impunity of polluters. In the past, the absence of an effective regulatory framework was one of the causes of the failure of some well-known judicial initiatives, such as the one against Eternit owners for asbestos deaths.”

Marketing

Quick Take — Large-scale retail: Luigi Rubinelli’s explanation of the Greater Milan area

… Esselunga’s best competitor is Iper la grande I (Finiper), but also Lidl and Eurospin.

A separate argument should be made about Tigros and Iperal, which, in fact, are somewhat smaller Esselunga stores with less extensive and deeper assortments, but where it is probably easier to shop in less time. To this must be added the presence of bistros with good value for money.

And then, you must allow us, the presence of a convincing fruit and vegetable department. This is because, beyond the performance of the grocery-salon, the main reason for shopping in a supermarket remains the fruit and vegetables, whether one likes it or not.

It is a pity, dear Luigi, that the fruit and vegetable departments are – in general – increasingly pitiful and it is a race to see who is ‘less worse’ (although Coop Fi might be an exception)

Below: Daniele Tirelli’s analysis of Goodwill – corporate goodwill – related: Localism. Here is the other key word emphasised by the seventh edition of CX Store Research. Esselunga’s declining trend is what attracts attention more than any other fact: a brand that for decades represented the absolute benchmark of quality in Italian food retail is now seeing its Relative Goodwill eroded not by a stronger national competitor, but by a constellation of local brands that surround and undermine it – each in its own catchment area – with value propositions credible enough to intercept the incumbent’s customer, i.e. the one who appreciates Esselunga’s quality but sees an overpricing…

Thanks to Mario Gasbarrino

Edited 12 May, updated 24 May 2026

History Marketing

Quick Take — Which US foods will enter Europe duty-free

With this agreement, the EU eliminates customs duties on all US industrial products and grants preferential market access for a wide range of US fish and agricultural products including nuts, dairy products, fresh and processed fruit and vegetables, processed foods, seeds, soybean oil, pork and bison meat, as well as lobster both fresh and processed.

In parallel, the regulations introduce strong safeguards to protect the European industry. A system of constant monitoring of trade flows will be in place, allowing rapid intervention in the event of sudden and damaging increases in US exports. In specific circumstances, the EU will also be able to suspend tariff concessions in whole or in part, thus enhancing its ability to respond to any imbalances. The new market access regimes will remain in force until the end of 2029 with the possibility of extension…

Source

Marketing

Quick Take — Grand Frais: the approach to fruit and vegetables

I found this advertisement in Le Monde a few days ago. It says that ‘We have revived the oldest profession in the world: tasting. To ensure that our strawberries are fragrant, we taste them before we put them on sale’.

Sensible you might say.

I would add: the owners should try them, since controlling what the buyers do in the fresh section is more complicated than in the branded section.

Marketing

Quick Take — Lidl’s brand policy crosses Sinner’s tennis and adds it to its fruit and vegetable department

Lidl, which has always been committed to encouraging the consumption of fruit and vegetables, announces the opening of a pop-up fruit and vegetable bar in the sporting heart of Rome and an adjoining gazebo called ‘Carotavendolo‘, at Largo Maresciallo Diaz 20. From Tuesday 12 to Thursday 14 May, the Ponte Milvio area becomes a space dedicated to cheer and freshness, where the excellence of the brand’s vegetable assortment is at the centre of a unique awareness-raising initiative.

After the slip on pasta – read Lidl pasta, EU Court: the tricolour on labels can mislead consumers – an interesting marketing initiative, to be imitated, even if Lidl’s fruit and vegetables have some obvious limits.