By now we are used to buying any marketable goods from the giants of large-scale retail trade, from food products to clothing, from household tools to electronic items. In this enormous variety of offers, up to now tourism has remained excluded. But things are changing.
Italians are discovering trips bought in supermarkets, and consequently the main players in large-scale distribution are aiming to intercept this demand decisively. As? By being supported by tour operators willing to make packages available to customers at advantageous prices.
The strong point of supermarkets is undoubtedly the loyalty of a vast clientele. According to data from "ilSole24Ore", the holidays purchased in the shopping center reach one figure exceeding 50 million.
He thought about stirring things up Coop, first to bet on tourism by acquiring 100% control of Robintur - travel agency with a turnover of 240 million and a network of 87 agencies – and launching the “Coop Viaggi” brand.
The group is opening travel agencies in Coop hypermarkets. To date there are 3 (two in Bologna and one in Pesaro) but by the autumn they will double.
Other large-scale distribution giants are also following the path traced by Coop, focusing however exclusively on online channels rather than on the physical presence of the travel agency inside the point of sale.
Auchan launched the portal Holidays-A, thanks to the collaboration relationship with the tour operator Eurotours Italia Travel Marketing (one of the largest tourist purchasing groups in Europe), which in turn also works with Long S. The Milanese company has offered its Fidaty card holder customers the Travel Service on the Web. They moved too Conad, Carrefour and Lidl, relying on specialized suppliers.
