SPAIN
While the Spanish economy has taken a hit over the past several years, consumers and retailers are beginning to see signs of growth. With things on the uptick, merchandisers are noticing new trends among Spanish consumers and retailers, ones which the industry would be wise to pay attention to.
American consumers looking for cheese are by and large accustomed to searching for a centralized aisle with a variety of products all in the same place. Spanish retailers take a different approach to displaying their cheeses however. Phil Gruszka, of Gruszka Consulting, noted that in Spain, retailers prefer to spread out the locations of their cheese products, matching different types of cheeses with other products that they would be commonly paired with in a dish. Deli cheeses for example would be found in the same section as deli meats, with artisan cheeses in another area of the store, and value added and shredded varieties in yet another.
Artisan cheese displays in Spain are also noteworthy for being less dominated by large brands. In addition, there is a large proportion of private label options among value-added cheese selections.
Gruszka also noted that meat departments in the stores he inspected were smaller than their American counterparts, with more space being devoted to produce departments instead. A considerable amount of the meat sold in these sections is displayed in modified atmosphere packaging.
Spain is famous for their jamon (ham). The quality is excellent and the variety is seemingly endless, two things which one at once sees when walking through any of Spain's number of grocery or specialty stores. Jamon is notable for having very large regional differences in price, quality, and selection. Prices can be incredibly high in some regions, and in some areas there are even entire stores which specialize exclusively in ham.
One commonality for both cheese and meat products sold in Spanish markets is the emphasis that retailers and consumers put on place of origin. Cheese and meat products are not only merchandized by country of sale, but also by the specific region they came from. It is not uncommon to see two cheeses of the same type marketed separately because they come from different regions.
For seafood, consumers and retailers emphasize freshness and variety. It is also common practice for retailers to offer shoppers the option to customize their cut so that the fish they purchase is cut to their specific standards.
For more on merchandising trends in Spain check out our article on produce merchandising on DeliMarketTV's sister publication, AndNowUKnow, here.
