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The development of online food trading can bring the entire Russian e-commerce market to a new level, because products are the largest segment of offline retail. It would seem that the market is moving in the right direction: the other day, another major offline grocery retailer Metro Cash & Carry announced the opening of an online store.

However, judging by the available details, while the company is not ready to organize the sale of products online fully – its project implies a strict limitation of the range (tea, coffee, stationery and detergents) and the target audience (for offices).

The Strategies

There is undoubted demand in the online food trading market today – there are few players for it, and if you look in recent years, the supply has not only not grown, but even has, on the contrary, decreased. Here you can recall the change in the strategy of the main player in this market – “Platypus”.

If previously he was set to maximize sales and sought to take a larger market share in the retail segment as a whole, and not just online, then the strategy changed: the company closed delivery to some districts in the Region, reduced the number of points of issue, significantly increased prices.

· One can agree that online sales of food products are indeed a very complex and risky business: a huge amount of work is needed to organize the process of storage, delivery, etc., plus the market is very price sensitive. It can be recognized that the overwhelming majority of people are more accustomed to buying products in regular stores, primarily because it always gives the opportunity for some variations to personally familiarize themselves with new products, to study, to feel. However, international experience suggests that if a good offer appears online, people will use it, especially as regards standardized and non-perishable products: groceries, drinks, and the like.

So, what should a consumer do if he purchased a damaged product? It is best to take it as soon as possible to the store where it was purchased and to demand that the money be returned. As a rule, there are no problems in such cases. Difficulties arise if the consumer has not survived the check. Then the store workers may become obstinate. In such a situation, the fact of purchasing a product in this outlet will have to be proved either by testimony, or by means of packaging, if the product is packaged in a store and has the appropriate labeling. Now with the Coupons plus Deals the options have become different.

Himself a defender?

And what if the store does not want to admit its mistakes and the regulatory authorities do not respond to consumer complaints? Perhaps, to conduct an examination of the product at its own expense? Unfortunately, as the sad experience shows, it is very difficult. In the Bureau of Commodity Examinations mainly accept products in batches, and it is unprofitable for anyone to mess around with a single product. And the cost of such an analysis is very decent and not every consumer can afford. For example, a complete study of not the most difficult in terms of examination of the goods today is about 5 thousand rubles. But this is far from the limit.

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