A profitable ‘side effect’ of the consolidated presence – over 600 points of sale – of Lidl in Italy is the export of food references under the brand ‘Italiamo’. It is a brand that brings together the typical Italian gastronomic tradition. We started exporting the Italian line in 2008 and since then we have not stopped,” says Emilio Arduino, Managing Director of Real Estate Development and Central Services at Lidl Italia, in an exclusive interview with Food magazine. Every year we record a significant increase in volumes, up to the current level of about 500 million euro in the last financial year, with growth forecasts also for the current year. Italian products are distributed in all the 28 countries where Lidl is present: Overall we are talking about more than 10,000 points of sale – explains Arduino. The line is very successful everywhere. Moreover, Italian cuisine is one of the most appreciated and known all over the world. Most of all, in Germany, Spain, and France. Since June last year, when Lidl officially landed in the United States, the Italian line can also be found on American shelves“.
The products
Exports cover both basic products, such as pasta and tomato sauce, and the premium ones such as cheese and sliced meats. Overall, there are over 900 products – continues Arduino – sold under the Italian brands, counting Deluxe line – our gourmet line linked to the Christmas and Easter festivities – and Bio Organic line. The products sold in Italy are the same as those sold in other countries, except for some changes in weight or recipe. The presence of Italian products on foreign shelves is mainly linked to promotional activities that we call ‘thematic weeks’, which are repeated 2-3 times a year. Each country decides which products are to be included in the range. To date, more than 200 Italian suppliers have been involved in the exporting of Italian products. Lidl Italia presents its new products to all the Group countries during meetings held at its headquarters in Neckarsulm, Germany – explains Arduino. Each country evaluates on the basis of its customers’ tastes, purchasing habits, new trends, and the peculiarities of the reference market. Orders are then collected and a preliminary check is carried out by the supplier. After that, each country places the order directly with the supplier. The goods are delivered to the logistics platforms of the destination country. The same process is followed by all Lidl countries that present their products and offer them to other countries. But is there any room for new collaborations with some more Italian production companies? Yes, sure – Arduino replies. We have undertaken our Italian path almost ten years ago, and since then we have involved an increasing number of suppliers: to date, there are more than 400 of them. We are now taking a further step in this direction by focusing on regionality. For this reason, we are always looking for companies with whom to develop innovative projects, that can be able to guarantee the highest quality at an affordable price.