Special essay:
What do we buy in the supermarketTen or twenty
years ago, this question was easier to answer.
Today's cashier receipt is much longer, because it
includes many items we used to buy at specialty
stores. In addition, products previously bought at pharmacies, snack
bars or department stores are now often purchased in the super
market. But it also works the other way around; today we may buy
our daily groceries in a gas station, a discount store or a hypermarket.
Sometimes we buy for the whole week, sometimes we drop in for
something quick, sometimes we want luxury, novelty, or a treat;
sometimes we are more interested in price, convenience, our health
or the environment. In short, our shopping lists and purchasing
behavior are widely varied and differ with each trip to the store.
Furthermore, they reveal more and more differences between us and
the person next door.
Individualization is nothing new. It is a phenomenon spread so widely throughout
society that food retailers are beginning to develop a whole new vision of marketing and
distribution, making use of the possibilities offered by information technology. In each
of its operating regions, Ahold is reflecting this new vision in its store organization and
in a range of products and services carefully designed to fit the circumstances and devel
opment level of the local market. How quickly change is implemented also depends
on the area. Knowledge acquired in more developed markets is applied to other areas
From mass sales to
precision retailing
28 Annual Report 1995 Royal Ahold
