Trends regarding current trends in Czech retailing say that the width of the assortment is becoming a key factor, even for the smallest stores, which can therefore boldly compete with larger discounters. The range of the product range, together with the speed of purchase, is the main reason why Czech consumers have been returning to small stores in recent years. And not just food.
Czech consumers look more at the breadth of the assortment. Along with speed, this is a key factor for them when buying food and other goods and products. One of the key new trends in the Czech trade is a sufficiently wide assortment offered by a particular store.
Thanks to it, it often outperforms even a larger discount store in close proximity with a narrower offer. At the same time, according to retail representatives, the range of the assortment is the reason why people have been returning to smaller stores in recent years. They thus break the common prejudice of Czech consumers, who assume a direct correlation between the size of the sales area and the offer.
Speed and enough supply
These are the main trends in contemporary Czech retail and also the reason why domestic consumers have been returning to smaller stores in recent years. “For grocery stores, the key to success these days is the breadth of the assortment. It should reach approximately 5,000 items, a similar criterion can be found in hobby markets, where the limit is 15,000 items,” stated the chairman of the retail cooperative CBA Roman Mazák.
According to him, it is precisely the breadth of the product range that allows stores even in smaller towns or villages to boldly compete with discounters located in their immediate vicinity. At the same time, they usually offer two basic assortment widths, namely 800 or 2000 items. “It’s not enough for the average customer. If a competing store offers a multifold range of items, it will simply prosper and people will prefer it. Our experience also shows this. In short, the customer prefers the widest possible selection. If he wants to buy special things, he doesn’t have to go to a big supermarket, for example. A smaller format and a quick purchase are enough for him,” added Mazák.
Prejudices associated with the size of the sales area
According to Mazák, in the Czech environment, one can still assume that a larger sales area automatically means a wider assortment. “*Depends on how the merchant works with the overall space. This certainly does not mean that there is less selection in a small store. Rather, it happens that there are 3 meters of one product in the chain, while in a small store only one product is displayed, the so-called face. As a result, on the contrary, a small store can have a larger selection,”* he added.
Today, however, you can also find stores that, on just 200 square meters of sales space, abound with an assortment of 7,000 items. However, according to the chairman of the CBA Association, this is a less common solution. “The range of 5,000 items is more common for this acreage. In any case, however, the customer does not want to buy the same yogurt, sausage or water. It needs variety, it’s always the same in discount stores, people want it,” said Mazák.
Speed of purchase as an important factor
At the same time, according to representatives of the traditional market, small stores are the format that Czech consumers have been rediscovering in recent years. One of the key attributes of shopping for them is saving time, which chains with a large sales area often cannot provide. Therefore, although they meet the criterion of the breadth of the assortment, due to the frequent wandering around the vast store, people often spend more time here than they originally intended.
In the last 3 years, according to the chairman of the CBA Cooperative, it can be observed that thanks to the favorable economic situation, people are willing to spend more. This is also closely related to the breadth of the product range. “The customer likes to try new things, expands his horizons and is also not afraid to pay extra for higher quality products. In this, a wider range of products, which can provide not only standard quality products but also premium ones, helps him,” he concluded.
About Cooperative CBA CZ
The CBA CZ cooperative is an association of wholesalers and retail units, which currently has more than 1,000 stores and produces a turnover of more than 3 billion CZK. CBA’s current goal is to build a stable network of quality retail stores, which it tries to achieve by supporting retailers, investing in stores, quality marketing or introducing new technologies and services. The pillar is a unified retail cash register system with a central index of goods, currently numbering more than 120,000 items.
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Source: www.luxurymag.cz
