The German retail sector is currently undergoing a fundamental cultural shift. The Internet giant Amazon is getting ready to launch its fresh produce delivery services. Discounters are also upscaling with more sophisticated shop designs and wider selections of goods.
How can conventional supermarkets deal with these changes and maintain or even strengthen their position in this fiercely competitive market? One approach is the implementation of innovative foodservice concepts where supermarkets become a place to meet, relax and enjoy good food. Rewe retailer, Friedhelm Dornseifer, sees great opportunities and sales potentials in this area. "For us as retailers, foodservice and convenience are crucial when it comes to differentiating ourselves from the discount sector. The only way for us to increase sales is to provide services as well as groceries", Dornseifer says.
Rewe CEO, Alain Caparros, also recently spelled out the necessity of a new kind of selling in an interview with Spiegel magazine. "We need to reinvent ourselves. Our shops need to become places that convey an experience. In the future we'll have guests, not customers", Caparros says. He continues, "I don't know where the train is heading or how fast it will be. But I do know that we have to be on it."
Those who don't want to miss the train also won't want to miss Fruit Logistica from 8-10 February next year in Berlin. "This is the place where innovations are presented, trends are discussed and contacts are made", says Fruit Logistica Global Brand Manager, Wilfried Wollbold.
For more information, please visit www.fruitlogistica.de.
