For several editions now TUTTOFOOD, thanks also to authoritative partnerships, is the event par excellence where to take stock of Food & Beverage trends in organised distribution and Retail, in particular with the great arena of Retail Plaza. A space-event that will also return at TUTTOFOOD 2021 to take stock of innovation in the sector, this year making use of partnerships from the academic world and the contribution of the relevant media, as well as the collaboration of Retail Institute Italy, the reference association for the sector in Italy. In addition, the entire format was rethought and produced together with Business International - Fiera Milano Media. Many hot topics will be discussed in depth: from the new Retail formats, with a focus on Discount, from Healthy Food, to the growth of Food Delivery and Last Mile, to increasingly personalised services in the omnichannel Retail of the future, from sustainability and the digital evolution of marketing and Grocery transformation, up to conversations with top managers from the large-scale retail sector who will talk about their business models and strategies for innovation. The main trade magazines will also be involved, with the confirmation of media partnerships with Distribuzione Moderna, GDO Week and Largo Consumo.

The following speakers are already confirmed: Cris Nulli, Founder of Appetite for Disruption; Matteo Sarzana, General Manager of Deliveroo Italy and President of Assodelivery; Elisa Pagliarani, General Manager of Glovo Italia; Giorgio Santambrogio, CEO of Gruppo Végé, Massimiliano Silvestri, President of LIDL Italia. Giuseppe Stigliano, CEO of Wunderman Thompson Italy (WPP Group), Professor of Retail Marketing Innovation at IULM, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Politecnico di Milano and co-author of the books Retail 4.0 - 10 Rules for the Digital Era and Onlife Fashion - 10 rules for a world without rules, will also be present.

So what trends can we expect? "A lot of things are definitely changing, and not just because of the pandemic - Stigliano replied. One change is definitely the expansion of the digital audience to new categories such as seniors and, in parallel, a different approach to omnichanneling, which is more of an ideal model than a reality. Many companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, have realised that it is more important to focus on a few channels in line with their offerings rather than aiming for an omnichannel that is not very feasible".

"Even in the marketing approach - continues Stigliano - a profound change is taking place. We are moving from 'make people want things' to 'make things that people want'. Not only at the product level, but also at the service level. For example, delivery has accustomed us to certain delivery standards, so we now demand them even from the little shop down the street that we would never have thought to ask for before. In my opinion, in the past it was not even the case that marketing had to create needs, but today this is more evident than ever”.

So what do you recommend to companies? I would first suggest that we consider that the world we are moving towards requires a great deal of flexibility and speed of execution. And, by definition, the smaller you are the more flexible you are, so in this historical moment the SMEs that make up the Food sector have a more unique than rare opportunity to build a competitive advantage, provided they understand that today 'competitive advantage' means striving for continuous improvement."