The morale of French households do not seem to favor a clear recovery in consumption. In the first quarter, sales of Casino in France and have fallen 0.9% after falling 2.7% in 2009. Although the strong growth recorded by the distributor Stéphanois abroad (10.2% in the first quarter, after 5% last year) largely offset this decline, the group must respond. Jean-Charles Naouri, its CEO, shares his strategy in an interview with Le Figaro.
LE FIGARO – The morale of your customer shops is it affected by the crisis?
Jean-Charles Naouri – Many signs show that pessimism has worsened. He returned in September 2008, at the peak of the crisis. Because of the crisis of Greek and that of the euro, the fear of job loss has increased and concern about the standard of living reached a record high since 2007.The French prefer the job security of their purchasing power and their careers. This general pessimism is, however disconnected from the real economy, which seems to gradually resume. France is no longer in a situation of danger of deflation, the interest rates are permanently lower a guarantee for the future, and the weak euro is an element of recovery. The figures, including our own business performance, there are better a couple years.
Consumer behavior change it?
We found two relatively recent trends Firstly, in an environment seen as more complex, consumers no longer want it decides for them. They want to regain control over product quality, origin and value for money in particular.Similarly, while far to the client, other consumers were at best indifferent and at worst seen as troublemakers, he now draws more and more choices to their preferences and ratings. This horizontal communication facilitated by the Internet, this new proximity, we must reflect and inspire us to develop relationships with our customers in and outside the store.
How are you adapting?
We have a head start in this area because we have long been close to the heart of our strategy. We could for example indicate, in each point of sale, the preferred products or selling. We already strong commitments on the quality of our products.We reassure our customers, for example about what they buy indicating on the Casino-brand products, in addition to the nutritional use their carbon footprint, or that they are without oil palm and gluten free. We just put in place within the group, a Health Committee attended by several senior experts whose mission is to anticipate health issues and help Casino make good choices on offer. We also test systems dematerialized Innovative allowing customers to share their recommendations.
Hypermarkets Géant Casino continue to lose market share.Are they so essential for the massification of procurement and management of shopping malls you plan to transfer them not to invest in your most promising formats nearby?
I believe in small and medium format hypermarkets (6 000-8 000 square meters), which constitute the backbone of malls. I believe in the relevance of non-food offer in textiles, leisure and household equipment. Casino no reason to separate from Géant. Our superstores are as profitable as those of our competitors, and we set the target that market share has stabilized Géant Casino this year.Remember, also, that 40% of group turnover from international have a double-digit growth in France and the formats most carriers (Franprix, Monoprix supermarket Casino …) know sustained growth, which boosts the overall growth of revenues of Casino.
How is the recovery of your brand discount Leader Price, whose sales fell sharply last year?
This is another priority group in France in 2010. We are very pleased with the sales growth in stores converted to the new concept and we are accelerating the pace of refurbishment of outlets from week to week.
Could you introduce CDiscount stock exchange to accelerate the deleveraging of the group?
This is not the agenda.A listing imposes many constraints on management whose priority now is to continue double-digit growth in turnover. We are the leader, but in a very competitive environment.
Can you imagine Rueducommerce complementarities with the site, which Rally has just 8% of capital?
It is a very minority participation, without presence on the board of directors.
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