Michel-Édouard Leclerc, chief executive of French retailer E. Leclerc, has shared his opinions as to how the post-lockdown retail scenario might look. According to a post on his personal blog, he believes:

• The ease in restrictions post lockdown and confinement will see an extended continuation of health-related measures such as social distancing and the use of protective gear.
• The pandemic has seen greater purchasing of packaged goods and less buying of organic products due to fears over food safety.
• The Drive format, which has seen a strong growth during the pandemic situation, can continue to grow, "provided that the conditions for staff security and interaction with customers are refined, their future will be further boosted," according to Leclerc.
• Widespread unemployment will mean purchasing power will come under pressure, meaning more segmented pricing will be called for, which might lead to a strengthening of private label offers at major chains.

Source: ESM