The assault on grocery stores and supermarkets by consumers alarmed by the spread of the coronavirus can tell us a lot about what people like and do. For the Italian agrifood industry, the mass psychosis could even turn into a powerful marketing tool, better than any market survey.
FROM ECONOMY TO LOOTING
“Market sets the price”. This simple economic basis is being confirmed in these days, with the prices of sanitisers and surging masks raising to stars.
In fact, on Amazon, the prices of hand sanitiser raise from some euros up to 200 euros with an increase of +650% while masks did “better” up to +1700% as any stock in a bull market.
We agree business is business but the weak boundary between economics and looting should never be crossed.
HEALTHY FOOD EVEN IN EMERGENCY
The association Federdistribuzione confirmed the products delivery will be done regularly, followed by Coldiretti, which calculated an increase of 5-10% in groceries buying during the week-end.
Fruits and veggies seem to be the most purchased items, along with obviously to bottled water and groceries such as canned tomatoes and pasta above all.
PENNE LISCE AND BUTTERFLY PASTA? NO THANKS
And the pasta, especially such format as penne liscie and butterfly have been the great protagonists on social networks, in a funny mode.
In fact, since some days they are been circulating on the web some hilarious memes showing that, despite the empty shelves, such pasta formats have not been considerated at all by the consumers.
Obviously one swallow doesn’t make a summer but these facts may help in considering to drop such formats, never particularly beloved by consumers?
For better or worse, both industry and retail can learn something by these circumstances.