Online spending-like that in the physical store, with the added variable of cost and delivery services-has price variations that deserve attention (and updates, in the coming months).
Our market analysis considers the purchase via ecommerce of a mini-basket of foods that are inevitable in an Italian kitchen, in central Rome, at major large-scale retail and discount stores. Coop, Conad, Esselunga, Carrefour, Eurospin and Lidl.
Online shopping, 102 products in the basket
The essential basket considers 5 products-100 percent Arabica coffee, whole grain rusks, Italian tomato puree, pasta, extra virgin olive oil-in the three versions:
– IDM, Brand Industry. Lavazza, Mulino Bianco, Mutti, Barilla, and Costa d’Oro,
– MDD, Distributor’s Brand(private label),
– Private label organic.
In all, a (potential) selection of 102 products.
Choices conditioned by availability, without giving up organic
The choice of products in the basket was conditioned only by the need to find the same foods – by type and industrial brand – in all ecommerce platforms. Without any desire to choose one brand or product over others. Indeed, we would have preferred to choose a whole-wheat or semi-wheat pasta and add a product such as high-quality fresh milk-better yet, a hay milk-but they were not available in several virtual stores.
The only determined and reasoned choice concerns the inclusion of an organic version for each of the foods included in the basket. Because our GIFT site, Great Italian Food Trade, has always cheered for the organic system of food production as the best expression of sustainable development from farm to fork. For people’s health, animal welfare, biodiversity and environmental protection.
GDO, Conad still lagging behind
Among the big retailers, we selected the online sales platforms of Coop, Esselunga, Carrefour and Conad. Of the four, only the first three offer an excellent ‘proprietary’ ecommerce service, with uniform and comprehensive assortment.
Instead, Conad relies on service-enabled physical stores, which the user must select at the start of shopping. That is, on Everli, with a limited supply, however (see next paragraph).
Everli, the deficient wild card
An additional online shopping platform is Everli, an operator repeatedly reported by Great Italian Food Trade (including to the Antitrust Authority) for unfair consumer practices.
Among large-scale retail chains, both Carrefour and Conad benefit from Everli. However, the latter is present with a singular assortment, lacking Conad-branded(private label) and even private label products included in our basket.
Discount, scarcity of online services
Of the two discounters considered, Lidl is completely lacking an efficient food ecommerce platform. Online shopping for some of its products is done through the Everli website (with prices equal to the physical store).
Eurospin, on the other hand, has a platform with a full assortment, but (at least in Rome) only allows you to place your order online and pick up your groceries in store (‘click and collect’). Discount 4.0 is yet to come.
GDO, the most expensive bill is Everli-Carrefour
Among the 5 virtual retail ‘stores’ , the online home-delivered grocery bill sees Carrefour (€54.23) and Coop (€54.88) excel in convenience. This is followed by Conad (55.70) and Esselunga (€58.76).
On the other hand, the most expensive of all is the grocery bill at Carrefour through Everli (€69.29).
The price of home delivery
As the table shows, the ranking is influenced by delivery costs. These vary depending on a number of variables, such as the amount spent and the delivery time.
In detail, the cost of delivery set by the various signs is broken down as follows:
Carrefour
. First two free deliveries for spending at least 50 euros. Delivery charge 6.90 euros, reduced to 3.90 when spending at least 50 euros.
Everli
. ‘Surcharge’ of 3 euros for spending less than 40 euros. Standard delivery charge 4.90 euros. Express delivery (same day) 6.30 euros.
Conad (Viale Marconi store, Rome). Delivery 4.50 euros, free over 95 euros spent.
Esselunga
. Delivery cost 7.90 euros, reduced to 6.90 for spending more than 110 euros.
Easycoop
. Minimum expenditure 50 euros. Delivery cost from 3.90 to 9.90 euros depending on speed and elasticity of the selected time slot.
Discount, in Eurospin savings without delivery
In the comparison of the two discounters considered, Eurospin comes out as the most convenient brand with a saving, on the basket, of 1.30 euros. However, without considering delivery charges, which the Italian discount store still does not offer.
With Lidl, through Everli, receiving groceries at home involves a 7.90 euro surcharge: 3 for the ‘surcharge’, as already seen for large-scale retail, and 4.90 for home delivery.
In the Lidl basket, the unavailability of whole grain rusks was solved by the inclusion of cereal rusks, whose price-slightly higher than Eurospin whole grain (+0.79 €/kg)-does not change the result.
Organic
Organic farming certification often carries with it the Italian origin of the raw material, in the products considered:
– 100% Italian are always organic tomato puree (with prices ranging from €1.13 to €1.65/kg) and extra virgin olive oil,
– Italian wheat only in Esselunga’s organic pasta,
– Non-Italian organic coffee but with the plus of a fair supply chain, as shown in the table.
On coffee and pasta we highlight the lag of Carrefour, Eurospin and Lidl, which still lack an own-brand organic line. And it is disappointing to see the absence of private label organic whole grain rusks.
Conad, Coop and Esselunga triumph for convenience on organic, while the two discounters do not qualify because of a lack of assortment on coffee and pasta (as well as on rusks). It is time to adapt to the growing demands of consumers.
Marta Strinati
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
