Retail
The retail sector, in particular food retailing, is an important industry in Europe. It comprises a large number of players, including supermarkets, discounters, drug stores and specialist shops. The best-known companies in Europe include Aldi, Tesco, Carrefour and Sainsbury’s.
The food retail sector in Europe’s top five economies recorded sales of around 972 billion euros in 2022. It should be noted that the retail sector has undergone constant change in recent years and is constantly evolving due to the increasing importance of online retail with delivery services and changing consumer habits.
A number of market trends can currently be observed in the food retail sector. Firstly, there is a focus on the topic of sustainability. More and more consumers are attaching importance to environmentally friendly and resource-saving products as well as transparent, responsible production and supply chains. Companies are responding to this by expanding their product ranges accordingly and offering certified products.
Increasing digitalisation and online retail are also of significance. Online supermarkets are becoming increasingly relevant in the food retail sector. Customers appreciate the convenience of being able to do their shopping online and use delivery services or Click & Collect options. Businesses are digitalising their sales channels and optimising logistics in order to meet growing customer needs.
Individualisation is also on trend. Customers are looking for personalised products and shopping experiences. As a result, companies are expanding their product ranges to offer a greater variety of product variants and brands for specific target groups. They are also increasingly relying on loyalty programmes to strengthen customer loyalty.
To summarise, it can be said that the retail sector in Europe is a dynamic industry that requires constant renewal under strong competitive pressure. The players are striving to meet the growing demands and needs of customers.
The food trade is a complex system consisting of various processes and, in some cases, international supply chains.
PROCUREMENT
Procurement covers the purchase of products from suppliers and manufacturers. Retailers work closely with various suppliers to offer a wide range of food and other products. The retailers' purchasing departments negotiate prices, conditions and delivery times.
LOGISTICS
Once the products have been (re-)ordered, they are delivered to the retailers' distribution centres or warehouses. Here they are sorted, stored and prepared for transport. Logistics plays a crucial role in ensuring that the products reach the shops on time, that stock levels are optimally managed and that product availability is guaranteed at all times.
PRESENTATION AND SALES
In the shops, the products are presented on shelves, in chiller cabinets or other forms of presentation. Care is taken to ensure that the products are arranged attractively and make it easy for customers to find their way around. An optimised design of the product group (category management) and the shelf according to planograms can increase sales. Secondary placements can stimulate impulse purchases.
CUSTOMER INTERACTION
Direct contact with customers is an important part of food retailing. The employees in the shops advise customers, take orders and ensure that everything runs smoothly at the checkout. Customer satisfaction and consistency play a crucial role in ensuring the long-term success of a retailer. Many retailers measure and optimise customer satisfaction through loyalty programmes.
For value creation in retail, the focus is on the margin that arises from the difference between the purchase price and the sales price. Retailers negotiate with suppliers and ensure that they buy products at the best possible prices and sell them at a reasonable profit. Market knowledge of competitor product ranges and competitor prices is essential for this.
appJobber – Experts in Retail
Swiftly Mobilised
appJobber can help retailers in various ways to overcome the challenges of product availability, distribution and pricing in a competitive environment. Some possible contributions are outlined below:
PRICE CALCULATION
appJobber can help with various competition-related issues. This can include, for example, monitoring and comparing prices in the competitive environment. The crowd can collect information on current prices and promotions of other retailers and thus contribute to the development of a competitive pricing strategy. It is also possible to record the scope of a competitor's product range and product range changes by analysing photos.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
appJobber also offers mystery shopping. Jobbers visit your shops for quality assurance purposes and assess, for example, cleanliness and tidiness, the implementation of promotions, the friendliness of staff and the quality of advice.
AVAILABILITY OF GOODS
Crowdworking can improve the availability of goods in shops. By working with a crowd, regular stock checks can be carried out as a foundation for shelf replenishment. The crowd can react quickly to eliminate bottlenecks and ensure that products are reordered in good time.
appJobber can be mobilised swiftly throughout Europe and thus enables efficient and cost-effective implementation of tasks that previously could only be carried out at great expense by in-house staff. In addition, the involvement of external labour helps to relieve the burden on permanent staff and allows retailers to concentrate on other important tasks.
You Love Retail as Much as We Do?
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