In order to grow their brands, one of the bets that restaurants in Costa Rica are making is to market their products in supermarkets.
Thursday, July 25, 2019
In the Costa Rican market there are companies that have taken several years to begin the process of marketing their products in supermarkets, because they must meet multiple requirements, such as health records, labeling standards, bar codes, among others.
In the case of Giacomin, which has been in the coffee and pastry business for 25 years, it took Giacomin 10 years to start selling its products in supermarkets.
Alejandro Sáenz, general manager of Giacomin, explained to Nacion.com that "... when they first started in the supermarket channel they did it with iconic products, such as horseshoe-shaped cookies and Selva biscuits, so that the customer could associate the product with the restaurant. The development of a modern channel is an ideal complement to the growth of the brands. Our strategy is to create the availability of products in the channels compatible with the brand'."
Sáenz added that "... The supermarket channel is complex, requiring strict compliance with many requirements. In addition, it is necessary to participate and invest in the commercial programs that the chains have programmed for the categories, this represents an additional cost."
Companies planning to market their products in supermarkets or convenience stores will face multiple challenges, because the retail business also shows transformations, satisfying the demands of consumers who increasingly demand greater responsibility in the production chain and balancing sales between physical and digital formats are part of the challenges faced by businesses.
Reaching consumers in a confined scenario has been a complex task for companies distributing mass consumption products, since the operation of some of the commercial channels has been limited in the region's markets.
In Panama, companies engaged in the wholesale distribution of food products such as oats, beverages, snacks and others have faced challenges during the weeks of home quarantine, which was decreed by the authorities following the outbreak of covid-19.
The restrictions on mobility decreed in the region open up new opportunities for sales points such as small self-service shops, grocery stores and corner shops, which can make use of home delivery service schemes to boost their sales in this context.
In the current context of health crisis, large supermarket chains have implemented safety and hygiene protocols, which force consumers to assume long waiting times to do their shopping.
Meeting the demands of consumers who increasingly seek responsibility in the production chain and balancing sales between physical and digital formats are part of the challenges faced by businesses in Panama.
The CEO and president of Grupo Rey, Hernán Muntaner, points out that globally the sales of modern channels such as hypermarkets and supermarkets are decreasing, giving way to other forms such as online channels and discount stores.
The dynamism and growth of the past two years is being maintained with the arrival of new competitors in a market which already totals 143 outlets in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica.
Added to well-known brands such as Fresh Market, AM PM and Vindi, all using the convenience store format, there are now local bakeries from the Musmanni chain, branded Musmanni Super Mini, owned by Florida Ice and Farm.
×
2744Government Procurement Opportunities in the region