Everyone is talking about the crisis - but the distribution chains deal with it on a daily basis, and have been since well before it became a hot media topic, in the summer of 2008.
Purchasing power has certainly been declining more quickly since last summer, resulting in ultra-fast changes in consumer behaviour. “I don’t have the same budget, so I can no longer purchase the same things in the same quantities, I no longer respond to the same criteria, I favour other products instead of my regular purchases, I prefer certain products for various reasons, etc.”
In this environment, stores have to work hard to adapt. They must react quickly, at least as quickly as their competitors, or risk irretrievable loss of their commercial positions. One thing is certain: market shares have never been as hotly contested as they are today, and pricing strategies are no longer always enough.
Therefore, being able to rapidly analyse changes in consumer behaviour has become a strategic necessity, in order to better offer this disoriented consumer what he needs at the right time and at the right price.
