Customers now view discounters as supermarkets

Most Italians who shop at stores defined as “discounters” view them merely as supermarkets. This is the finding of a survey by the Agroter Fruit and Vegetable Monitor, which analysed the perceptions of 500 Italian purchasing managers. It appears that the discount stores across Europe today are a far cry from the spartanly laid-out “hard” discount stores of the 90s. Italians have now come to see these stores as supermarkets where they can buy quality fresh products, including fruit and vegetables.

In the UK, Lidl has revealed it has gained nearly £11 million in switching gains from M&S, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s in the past month, an increase of over £10 million year on year. According to the discount grocer, over the past year, it has seen a total of £120 million coming from households choosing to shop at the company instead of traditional supermarkets. Lidl added that it has seen a rise in customers shopping at the discount grocer for fresh produce, including fruit and vegetables, with the latter reaching a market share high of 10.2%.