Sometimes in the war to have more market share in the world of large distribution, we must renounce certain principles that seemed immovable. This is what Carrefour is going to do, at least as a pilot experience, copying a successful model that Mercadona, Lidl or DIA have been implementing for years.
Although in this case it is not a matter of emulating the Juan Roig chain when it comes to promoting the private label or, as in the case of Lidl, for often placing specific and weekly offers, Carrefour is clear that it has to copy a format that its competitors are doing great.
With a 7.6% market share in SpainCarrefour is the second distribution chain by volume and turnover, far from the 25% marked by Mercadona, the absolute leader in this segment within our country and not too far from the 6.1% marked by Lidl in 2022, which is the one who closes the podium.
The truth is that the swerve, which for the moment is going to occur as pilot experience in the Montequinto hypermarket (in Seville) —and depending on its success it will be extended or not—, seems to go against the principles that Carrefour has upheld in recent years.
Based on the leading role of brands and with a wider assortment than its competitors, especially in terms of leading brands and their visibility, Carrefour seems convinced that part of the future lies in adapting strategies that have worked very well for Mercadona and Lidl.
The turn of Carrefour in the Mercadona style
With the difference that both the Valencian chain and the German chain have always opted for design and value strategies that aim at lower prices. Just the opposite of what Carrefour has done, which has sought a more premium positioning within the segment with, for example, the ordering of the store.
This is precisely where it is going to emulate Mercadona and Lidl in this contact, because you are going to start placing your products in boxesjust as its competitors already do, which is a much more efficient formula to distribute because it saves personnel costs —who will not have to replace the products one by one— and it is also more hygienic.
Another issue, as explained in Food Retail, is that it is not always so easy to justify the efficiency of the exhibition, since a display box is not the same as a container box. in the same way as not all Carrefour shelves and shelves are designed for this.
Playmarket Go Up Basic shopping trolley, 110 cm, 39.5 Litres, Charcoal Gray
We will see if it’s a matter of time and Carrefour ends up replicating the path of Mercadona and Lidl and its customers give the go-ahead or, on the contrary, the French chain backs down and maintains its usual dynamic of exposing the product outside its boxes.
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