“Companies play a fundamental role in the economic and social evolution of the country because they are able to anticipate major changes, influence the speed of transformation processes and propose consumption models that reflect people’s culture and values”. This is what he declares Donato Ferri, managing partner Ey consulting Europe West, commenting on i corporate business models which were analyzed on the occasion of theEy digital summit “Tales of the future” From Rome.
The most significant data that emerged from the summit, where the 2021 consumption survey carried out by Ey and Swg was presented, is that sustainable products and services are now becoming increasingly important for consumers and that around 64% of them are willing to change their purchasing behavior if these have benefits for society. “Faced with these signals – warns Ferri – companies have as their primary mission that of transmit trust and credibility. It is the time of discontinuity and transformative actions capable of combining speed and long-term sustainability “.
However, at the beginning of the year, the survey notes a gloomy situation among consumers, which records a turnaround with the beginning of spring, in conjunction with the strengthening of vaccination coverage and with the growth of trust in institutions. . Confidence trend that was further consolidated at the end of September, albeit with gray areas due to a certain level of uncertainty about the future.
As regards the purchasing behavior, compared to September 2020 the importance ofonline and there is an interesting dynamic within the physical stores with the simultaneous growth of both the tendency to go to shopping centers (+ 19%) and the use of small neighborhood shops (+ 26%). Online shopping has as its central drivers the convenience and simplicity of the process (from the choice of products to delivery), while shopping in the store is centered on relationality (with goods, people and the territory).
For all these reasons, second Paolo Lobetti Bodoni, Ey consulting market leader in Italy, “companies are called upon to answer key questions to transform their business strategies. Following new consumption trends means investing in a transformation of a structural nature, starting with the redefinition of one’s identity, own purpose, of the offer and of its own way of doing business, also by exploiting the opportunities offered by the NRP. All this with a view to building sustainable models capable of making economy of scale, through a progressive transformation, and in some cases experimental , of its value chain “.
The survey also shows that the sustainability and the traceability of products receive a broad consensus and define the shops of the future: 62% of the interviewees are in fact encouraged to buy in supermarkets and grocery stores where for each product it is possible to see the nutritional characteristics and follow its origin, 58% are encouraged to buy in stores that are committed to reducing the impact on the environment.
However, these aspects must be clearly visible and in evidence, the research points out, because the consumer still seems to be unwilling to look for information supplements while living his in-store shopping experience. In the next six months, spending intentions seem to show an increase in the propensity to renovate the house (30%), and means of transport (23%) and towards financial investments (26%).
In the relationship with the brand, on the other hand, the perception of the ethics of behavior is increasingly important: business ethics which is expressed primarily in respect for consumers, through the offer of quality products (46%) at the right price (45%) and, in turn, in respect of employees, suppliers and the environment (34%). There quality it also represents the main value for which one would be willing to pay more for a product (for 76% of the interviewees), followed by sustainability (64%) and innovation (61%).
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