Rethinking the future in Food

IESE Professor José Luis Nueno will explain the keys to how direct-to-consumer Internet sales will change the relationship between customers and brands. The COVID-19 outbreak will act as a major accelerator of the transition to the direct-to-consumer sales model, jeopardizing the survival of businesses that are less agile in adopting these changes.

Interviewed by Rosa Galende. 

The situation we are experiencing is changing our behaviour as people, consumers and buyers. In view of this situation, we at AECOC have monitored these changes through our platform of shopper view studies, following closely how habits inside and outside the home have changed during the lockdown and the return to the new normality. What are the main changes detected? How are our habits changing? What trends have come to stay? How does all this affect the FMCG companies?

The new scenario outlines 5 strategic macrotrends to be examined closely:

1. Health, sustainability, proximity and fresh products

2. Omnichannel: e-commerce, delivery, digitalization and in-store technology

3. Dynamization and commercial attractiveness

4. Convenience, merchandising, food-to-go and new consumer solutions

5. Innovative measures for Retail in the new environment

The Covid-19 has forced national and international distribution to rethink their plans, strategies and tactics because what they had written was no longer valid. New times demand agility and flexibility in the face of a scenario where constant change is the norm and where unique opportunities arise for those who know how to resolve them.

Moderator of the round table: Pablo de la Rica

13.20 to 13.35  Juan Antonio López Abadía, Director of Energy Optimization and Environment at Damm

13.35 to 13.50 Innovation and competitiveness: Values that add value - Toni Massanés, Director of the Alícia Foundation  

13.50 to 14.00 Q&A

The organisers of the FHG forum and Mercabarna will offer those attending the event the chance to visit the Mercabarna Biomarket, Spain's leading wholesale market for organic products and also the first in Europe due to the concentration of the number of organic fruit and vegetable companies it brings together.

The visit will allow visitors to see the role Mercabarna plays in the food chain and the importance of having a market specialised in organic products from November 2020 onwards.

A visit will be made to the Central Fruit and Vegetable Market to see how it works and then to the Biomarket, a monographic space that is being prepared to open its doors in November.

Duration of the visit: from 14h to 17h.

Price: free, reserved exclusively for FHG forum attendees.

No. of participants: Max. 20 people

People accredited to FHG fòrum will receive a form to fill in to register for the visit.