Quick Take — In Altroconsumo’s value-for-money ranking, Eurospin comes out on top among discount stores, whilst Dok, Coop and Famila dominate the supermarket and superstore categories for general shopping

The table to look at is the second one.

The comparison in the first table is not very meaningful, partly because the products sold by discount stores, supermarkets and superstores are not the same.

Conad comes top in terms of value for money if you look only at own-brand products (third table).

Source

Drafted on 2 September, updated on 3 September 2026

Quick Take — Italy: discount stores in trouble

In July, volumes in the large-scale retail sector grew more than turnover (sales by value: 0.5 per cent; volumes: 0.9 per cent). This is a significant difference as it signals the end of inflationary pressure: in the four weeks ending 19 July, the Circana Price Observatory recorded a change of -1 per cent, whilst the year-to-date figure remained just positive at 0.1 per cent.

Superstores performed poorly – in July alone – with a fall of 1.3 per cent.

In the year-to-date figures for 2026, discount stores maintained a market share of 20.2 per cent and recorded a 0.4 per cent increase in sales by value.

The annual figure therefore remains positive, but is significantly lower than the 2.1% for the packaged consumer goods sector as a whole. The channel is growing at a slower rate than the market and, as a result, is no longer able to gain market share at the pace observed in previous years…

I largely agree with Andrea Meneghini: discount stores are no longer ‘a novelty’ and need to reinvent themselves. And perhaps many customers are looking for a different, ‘higher-quality’ range.

Quick Take — USA: Target appoints its first Chief AI Officer

Target has 2,000 superstores and 400,000 employees. It is the eighth-largest retailer in the United States by turnover. Source:

Furthermore: The annual net sales growth forecast has risen to around 5 per cent from around 4 per cent.

Second-quarter profit received a boost of around $1 billion from tariff refunds.

Like-for-like sales rose by 3.8 per cent, with footfall up by 3.6 per cent.

Shares are up 5% in pre-market trading and are up 56% so far this year.

This was Target’s third consecutive quarter of growth, and the results suggest that new CEO Michael Fiddelke’s turnaround plan is taking root ahead of the crucial Christmas shopping season, even as high fuel prices put pressure on household budgets. Reuters

Written on 14 August, updated on 20 August 2026

Esselunga- Rewe: the Penny Market joint venture

“… We decide to enter into an agreement with the te-desco giant Rewe to create a chain of discount stores to be called Penny Market, controlled with 50 per cent equal shares. A decision by the board of directors is required to start the venture. I vote in favour of our father’s proposal, while his historic lawyer Alfonso Pellegatta is against it…’ Le Ossa dei Caprotti, page 169