European shoppers are increasingly focused on value, savings, and personalization. Siro Descrovi, Customer Strategy Manager at dunnhumby, highlights shifting behaviors, including fragmented shopping and rising expectations.

Descrovi points out that private labels, loyalty programs, and AI are key to meeting demand. Simple tools like coupons also remain effective in enhancing customer engagement and improving the overall retail experience.

Rising food prices in Europe have widened the gap between branded products and private labels, leading retailers to explore mid-tier product lines that offer both value and quality. Judith Kolenburg explains how this shift opens opportunities for innovation across the retail sector. 

Sustainability also plays a key role, as Pascal Kuipers highlights the untapped potential of spent coffee grounds, now used in textiles, furniture, and cosmetics by companies like Kaffe Bueno. 

The online grocery sector in Europe is undergoing rapid change, driven by evolving consumer behavior, technology, and post-pandemic retail trends. Malcolm Pinkerton, global head of Retail Insights at Kantar, highlights strong growth fueled by convenience, AI, and digital innovation.

He notes that AI enhances personalization and efficiency, while also shifting power to consumers. Pinkerton emphasizes the rising importance of private labels, which offer value and flexibility, reshaping shopping habits and driving online basket growth.

Retail alliances in Europe are rapidly evolving as retailers join forces to cut costs and boost bargaining power amid inflation. EMD, AMS, Agecore, and others have seen major membership shifts. Judith Kolenburg reports on this complex landscape.

Meanwhile, Hans Kraak highlights the booming supplements market, warning against misleading health claims and promoting smart fortification strategies that offer real health benefits and brand value.

All this and more in this edition of PLMALive.eu.

Boosting engagement and gathering data have always been the primary functions of loyalty programmes. Judith Kolenburg reports on how retailers are thinking further ahead and combining traditional loyalty cards with digital platforms to enhance the customer experience and drive sales. Carrefour, Delhaize, Lidl, and Aldi are among the retailers profiled. 

In other news, retailers and manufacturers are urging consumers to trust their sense of taste, smell or sight before discarding products that are near or even past their 'best before'-date. Pascal Kuipers examines the latest efforts to combat food waste in grocery retail. 

One of the major challenges of today’s modern leadership is understanding and communicating effectively in a five-generation workplace. 

Karen Green, experienced retail seller and buyer, and founder of Buyer-ology®, outlines her matrix and five-stage B-U-Y-E-R process to effectively profile targeted customers and ultimately increase success in selling opportunities.

While European private label manufacturers and retailers operate substantially differently than their US counterparts, some parallels can be made between the two markets.

Jan-Benedict Steenkamp, author and marketing professor at European and American universities, discusses US Walmart's concept and sees opportunities for highly sophisticated European manufacturers in the US market.