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Who better than store teams
to understand customers,
meet their expectations and
surprise them? They have
a lot of autonomy to develop
attractive and competitive
local offerings. Testimonials
by Gabriele Ghelli, manager
of the Carrefour
market
in Bologna (Italy) and
DanNazarcu, director
of the Carrefour Colentina
hypermarket in
Bucharest (Romania).
JOINT
INTERVIEW
In your opinion, what are
the hallmarks of a store that
draws customers?
Gabriele Ghelli: In Italy, customers are
very attached to local culinary traditions,
fresh produce and local products. In
Bologna we still prefer
la pasta fatta in
casa,
home-made pasta. Our city-centre
supermarkets must be as inviting and
friendly as local neighbourhood mar-
kets. We regularly organise showcases
and tastings for wines, fresh pasta,
curedmeats and cheeses, fromBologna
and other regions of Italy. These events,
organised by an enthusiastic team, give
life to the store.
Dan Nazarcu: Our hypermarket, located
in the northeast of Bucharest, caters to
the tastes of a very diverse clientele.
Given the cultural and religious diversity,
we need to offer products that reflect the
tastes of each community. In all sectors,
our customers want choice and low
prices. They are also looking for the latest
products. We organise events with
specific decor and signage, along with
tastings and promotions. During 2014,
we organised 47 events in all of our
departments, including tomato, melon,
smoked fish and cake fairs. We also have
large seasonal non-food departments
such as recreation, garden furniture,
gardening, plants and flowers.
How do you tailor your product mix?
G. G.: As the manager of a supermarket
in the city centre, I spend 90% of my
time in the store and know my custo-
mers personally. It’s a friendly atmos-
phere, and from time to time we even
go for a coffee together. It’s the best
way to understand their expectations,
which I then share with the section
manager and regional director. Our
responsiveness allows us to establish
new offerings in less than a month.
D.N.: Our fresh products department has
a strong regional character, especially
the bakery, the confectionery, the butcher
and the cheesemonger. For example,
in response to local customer tastes,
Gabriele Ghelli
Manager of the Carrefour
market
in Bologna (Italy)
“Most of our customers shop
everyday, so theybuild
close relationships
withstoreemployees.”
OFFER CHOICE ADAPT INNOVATE
A product
mix tailored
to local
expectations
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