The food industry is going through fast digital change that is affecting how consumers buy products while prompting companies also in Italy to invest in technology and logistics to bring quality products into the US stores at the right price and on time, says Leo Nucera, Marketing Director of Agritalia.
Sourcing, logistics are key
We are now living in a digital revolution. We have been working in the US since 1987, but over the last 12 months we have seen a lot of changes in the marketplace, from the point of view of sourcing, logistics, and consumer choices, Nucera told Italianfood.net at the PLMA international trade show in Chicago.
Home delivery is a change driver
Agritalia, which regroups selected Italian food makers, was one of the companies exhibiting in the Italian Pavilion of PLMA, where Italy was the largest international presence. The company showed a poster with a drone for food delivery, in a sign of the changing retail landscape. Logistics is the key to get the product in the best and most efficient way to the consumers’ house, said Nucera, mentioning the progress made by online players such as Amazon, Instacart and Jet.com to deliver fresh food directly to households’ homes. We think that this can change the mindset of consumers, how they make their decisions. They are no longer going twice a week to the stores, maybe once a week. The gap between male and women is reducing. People are taking their decisions with their smartphones even when they fill the shopping cart in the store, the marketing manager said.
Watch the full interview here: