The general director of the Casino group, Philippe Palazzi, calls on the candidates in the presidential election to make maintaining local businesses a priority. “The future of mass distribution is small distribution! », he says in an interview given to La Tribune Sundayarguing that changes in consumption patterns favor nearby purchases to the detriment of weekly hypermarket shopping.
Also evoking the need for “human connection”, Philippe Palazzi “invites all candidates in the presidential election to take up the subject of maintaining businesses in city centers and rural areas”. He suggests facilitating accessibility to city centers, through devices such as park-and-ride facilities connected to free shuttles, and says he is in favor of opening stores on Sunday afternoons, on a voluntary basis and with increased remuneration for employees. “Before, when the stores were closed that day, we waited until Monday. Today, we buy from Sundays on online sales platforms, that’s what penalizes us,” he notes.
Developing take-out catering
Appointed at the head of the group two and a half years ago, Philippe Palazzi indicates that Casino has started to develop “a complete offer around everyday shopping, take-away catering or services”, including for example parcel relays, rental of small household appliances or luggage storage.
But he places particular emphasis on take-out catering and announces his “ambition to achieve 50% of our turnover within ten years in this area, thanks to snacking and take-away meals (…) without excluding external growth operations”. According to him, “this offer meets new needs (because) the younger generations – like the older ones – cook less than before”. He notes that “Monoprix is ideally placed in this segment”, that Naturalia, Franprix or Casino (the group’s other brands, Editor’s note) also offer take-out catering and that “all our brands aim to imitate them”.
