Esselunga is confirmed as the first large-scale distribution in Italy, with revenues (growing) of over 6,8 billion, as well as the most efficient group. On the other hand, the decline of the French, present in the country with brands, does not stop Auchan-Sma and Carrefour. This was revealed by a report by the Mediobanca Research Area on the main Italian groups of large-scale food distribution, which also shows that the Coop system overall holds the record for market share (15%), despite earning more from financial management than from the industrial one.
The group led by Bernard Capriotti therefore confirms its first place, with a further 10,7% increase in sales, but the real surprise is the leap in Eurospin, the emerging Italian discount chain controlled, among others, by Migross of the Mion family from Verona and Vega from Treviso, and which, with a turnover of over 4 billion, is getting closer and closer to the French.
The greatest growth in sales (+48,7%) belongs to Eurospin Italia between the 2010 and the 2014, against an increase in the aggregate of large-scale retail operators of only 1,5%. Sales that are, on the other hand, down by 1% considering only the last year taken into consideration, at 33,8 billion: only Eurospin (+6,3%) and Esselunga (+1,2%) recorded increases between 2013 and 2014.
Coops lost 1,5%, Iper-Unes 1,8%, Carrefour 3% and Auchan-Sma 6,5%. The debacle of the French it is more visible considering the last five years, with declines in turnover equal to 19,1% and 13,7% respectively. In the last five years, then, Carrefour has accumulated losses of 2,4 billion.
Esselunga also confirms itself as the most efficient group, with 16 euros of sales per square metre, but the most profitable company is once again Eurospin Italia, with a Roe of 24,2% and profits of 5,8% of revenues. Among the strengths of the discount chain is the fast inventory recycling (17,5 days) and above all the low incidence of personnel costs (5,6% of turnover), less than half the average of other operators. In fact, Eurospin has 6.300 employees, less than a third of Esselunga (over 21), but it has over a thousand points of sale against only the 149 of the Milanese chain. Result: Eurospin's turnover per employee is double that of Esselunga (650 euros against 325).
The loss of turnover of the French, emerges from the Mediobanca report, followed different dynamics of the commercial structures: since 2010 Carrefour reduced its total stores by 11,1%., going from 1.302 to 1.150, while in the case of Auchan-Sma there was instead an increase of 2,6% to 1.875, which made it the most extensive network in Italy.
