Four fifths (79.8%) of attendees at the Checkout Conference, in association with Rabobank, which took place today at the Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin, feel that the Christmas fruit & veg promotion, which saw fresh produce on sale at selected retailers for as little as 5 cent, was a ‘step too far’.
Attendees at the Conference, comprised of leading executives in the retail grocery and FMCG sectors, were asked the question: “The Christmas ‘veg wars’ in some of Ireland’s leading supermarkets attracted plenty of attention, not all of it positive for the industry. Do you think the promotion was a ‘step too far’?”
23.7% responded ‘Yes, and it will lead to government action’; an indication that close to a quarter believe that the promotion could lead to the government seeking to fast track the anticipated Consumer & Competition Bill.
A further 56.1% answered ‘Yes, but there won’t be a lasting effect’.
9.6% answered ‘No, it was only meeting demand for low prices’. And finally, 10.5% answered ‘No, and what was all the fuss about?’
The question formed part of a series of ‘ask the audience’ questions, which took place over the course of the day.
In addition, attendees were asked as to which retailer they felt most ‘put their money where their mouth is’ when it comes to promoting Irish products. 57% answered SuperValu, compared to 13.3% that answered Tesco, 10.2% that answered Aldi, 7.6% that answered Dunnes Stores, 5.5% that answered Superquinn and 2.3% that answered Lidl.
Titled ‘Aftershock: The Retail Brand Challenge’, the Checkout Conference, in association with Rabobank, examined how receptive the retail and FMCG industries are to the rapidly changing needs of the Irish consumer.
© 2014 - European Supermarket Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones
