The five Groups have always been highly pioneering when approaching their businesses. In a mature industry such as Retailing, which requires relatively little capital and technology, innovation almost never means inventing from scratch. Most often it means successfully experimenting market approaches which are unknown in a given territory or techniques not yet applied in a given process. The companies of Agorà Network have often accomplished similar cases of innovation.
With its Central Office based in Genova, SOGEGROSS GROUP works in the majority of the regions of northern Italy through a rich variety of store formats, with surfaces that go from 200 to 7000 square metres. Its brands are Grossmarket Sogegross (Cash & Carry), Basko (Supermarkets, Superstores and e-commerce), Ekom (Food Discounts), DORO Supermercati (Franchising Supermarkets and Superettes). One of the focal points of the Sogegross Group’s success leads in the management of the retail chain and logistics. In its Distribution Center there are different platforms sorted by different products’ categories (fresh food, fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, dry food, grocery, frozen food, non-food, fresh and dry discount) that serve each one of the 260 Group’s stores.
Sogegross Group has always been looking to the future, anticipating the evolution of a fast changing sector with policies constantly based on investments and innovation.
A specific focus is on customers, always searching for more and more integration, flexibility, immediacy and customization. Especially for Basko, Sogegross Group has been a first mover in the introduction of some innovative services: the store opening times revolution (until 10 p.m. and on non-working days); the introduction of the fidelity card, in 1999, as instrument to increase loyalty and communication with customers; the placement of multimedia totems at the entrance of the supermarkets, in 2000, to give check-in coupons and electronic purse to the shop visitors.
In 2003, Basko has started in Genova and surroundings one of the first e-commerce services in Italy (www.basko.it) and recently it has been powered with Click&Collect and Lockers services.
In 1957 Beniamino POLI, back from Milan, woke in the middle of the night his brother Giuseppe to tell him what he had seen visiting the first supermarket in Italy, recently opened by Esselunga. It did not take long to convince him to turn their grocery stores into a self-service formula first and then, by expanding the size and integrating departments such as meat, into a supermarket. They realised the savings made possible by the pre-packaging of food products with the techniques of vacuum or wrapping. One of the first 5 automatic wrapping machines produced in Italy was sold to them. In the early 80s POLI was among the first to understand the importance of non-food as a critical success factor in supermarkets having a role of attraction. Since their territory was not suitable for the construction of large facilities, they placed the department on the first floor of larger stores, characterising it with the distinctive brand REGINA. Forerunners in their territory also for the introduction of scanner cash registers. Reinterpreting, even if with totally different purposes, the idea seen in Ahold (Netherlands) to get rid of rationalist layouts, POLI launched the first circular supermarket, which proved to be able to give greater value to the shopping experience of his customers. From Delhaize (Belgium) he borrowed and managed to introduce in Italy selling systems with autonomous collection of bakery products, which became extremely popular and, for this reason, today applied by virtually all major chains. The introduction of self-scanning systems as well was early compared to the market. He was the first to realise the importance of social responsibility in business management: since 2001 POLI publishes its sustainability report. This resulted in an increased awareness of its role and the importance of involving stakeholder in the territories in which it operates, thereby improving the relationship with the community, and therefore with customers, also enhancing local productions. Today POLI pays great attention to the environment and the implementation of some daily good practices that aim to decrease the consumptions and save energy resources as, for example, the placement of CO2 power stations to produce cold for food and air conditioning in store since 2014.
For IPERAL innovation, or even better evolution, as stated in its corporate mission, is part of its DNA. The continuous improvement of the formulas and business processes allows not only to retain but also increase the number of customers. Since its birth nearly 30 years ago, the Company in fact has interpreted the market trends and changed models and patterns remaining on the market as a protagonist: in the 70s it adopted the formula Cash&Carry, it opened the first hypermarket in 1986 and launched new types of retail outlet such as supermarkets and most recently hyper stores. The knowledge of the territory and the development have enabled Iperal to propose more targeted innovative products and services and almost always before competitors. The attention to people (employees and customers) allows Iperal to stand out in the field of large-scale retail trade (especially multinationals) which is now very undiversified and often too focussed on figures. Iperal is also different for its attention to local products and the quality of perishable products, constantly re-launched with innovative projects: production of delicatessen, bread, pastry, centralised fish and meat ready to cook. This differentiation and innovation is also achieved with projects such as gas stations, designed as a further opportunity for convenience for its customers, or the project Spesa Online, the entry of Iperal in the world of e-commerce, a new possibility of comfortable and quick purchase also for the territories in which the company operates.
TIGROS mission is to give the best service to its customers, ensuring excellent quality, accompanied by a relationship of mutual trust. In order to achieve and maintain this goal every day it is important to foresee the changes and needs of customers and have the courage to innovate. For Tigros innovation means working for a constant modernisation of its stores, to offer customers quality products, freshness and comfort. This is accompanied by the continuous search for new fresh products to offer consumers an increasingly wide and complete range. Some concrete examples of this commitment are the oven for the production of bread and pastry, Tigros@Casa and the Tigros Drive service, which allows you to order your shopping online and pick it easily at one of the 39 stores equipped for delivery. Quality and innovation are the future: for this Tigros strives every day to improve its offer, customer services, business processes and constantly studies elements to develop the company.
Rossetto Group, in the market since 1965, wishes to offer its customers quality and savings in a special formula: that of Rossetto. Every day the Rossetto family, present at the forefront of purchases, is committed with dedication and passion in the search for the best products at the best price. The Group’s head office remains in Verona, its hometown where it has 8 stores, to then see its sales network extended to other provinces of Veneto, Lombardy and Emilia Romagna. Always very careful to offer its customers comfortable and modern environments, in addition to new openings with attention to every detail, the Rossetto Group is constantly modernizing the most dated stores with internal and / or external restyling in order to guarantee a good shopping experience. . In 2020 the new and innovative logistics center was inaugurated in North Mantua: 72,000 square meters of which 10,000 are fully automated. An important investment that allows the Group to look to the future with a view to strong expansion. Another characteristic of the Group concerns the decision to specialize in fresh departments in the belief that these are the real key to customer loyalty, in fact the sales between fresh and grocery departments are absolutely balanced. Each store is equipped with an internal kitchen in view of the customer, where daily expert chefs prepare dishes ranging from appetizers, first courses to second courses, meat, fish and vegetables. Also with this in mind, the Group also has 9 internal bread-pastry workshops located within 9 stores that serve the remaining supermarkets every day with fresh and genuine products of our production: many types of fresh bread, pizzas. and fresh pastries to delight the most demanding palates. Finally, the Rossetto Group pays great attention to environmental issues; for this reason it has installed solar panels on the roofs of its stores, is updating the internal lighting with LED technology and is replacing all fresh and frozen counters with Full CO2 zero emissions technology with better control of food cold and consequent energy saving. It was also one of the first companies to contribute to the protection of the planet by participating in the Climateline project, using only climate-neutral packaging, made from recycled and 100% recyclable plastic.