Study of Auchan: Understanding its consumers behaviour

Résumé du document

Auchan is one of the world's leading retail groups. As shown on appendix 1, this group operates 357 hypermarkets in 11 countries across the world, and 649 supermarkets in France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Russia and Morocco. In France, Auchan has two main competitors Leclerc and Carrefour, its market share are 7.4% while Leclerc reaches 17.5% and Carrefour 11.8% in 2004. Carrefour is also the most attractive store, with an attractiveness rate of 84.8%, but Auchan is the second one with 82.4%. The latter is also the most frequented store in France and in addition, French stores are only 62% of Auchan's sales. Indeed, Auchan has a strategy of expansion. Since 1981, Auchan has begun to extend its supermarkets, first in Spain, changing its name literally by "Alcampo", then in 1989 in Italy, and finally in Russia in 2002.

Extraits

[...] Indeed, according to Corsten and Gruen[2] of buyers facing a stock-out will choose a substitution store. Concerning the retail atmospherics, Auchan is a retailing chain, so it is not the kind of shop in which you like to be, or to be seen. As shown appendix the atmosphere of the retailing store is cold because of the lightings. Moreover there are too many panels, even though it attracts the consumer attention, it isn't a really pleasant atmosphere. To cope with its weaknesses, Auchan has to do its best to meet the needs of its customers. [...]

[...] These surveys help Auchan to understand their consumers' needs, and to meet these needs. It also enables Auchan to understand the roles in the family, for instance, who is the initiator of the purchase, who is the buyer, the user and more important who is the influencer. Once Auchan knows who is the influencer, it will be able to attract them. Auchan, as well as some other retail stores, propose a fidelity card to its customers. To obtain this card, the customers have to fill in a form with some personal details, which can go from the address to some questions like how many children they have, their age. [...]

[...] Actually, Auchan also owe a bank named Banque Accord, which enables the customers to have a fidelity card with which they can pay what they buy at Auchan and also in other stores. They even propose a MasterCard which give the same advantages than the fidelity card, but with which the customers can pay everywhere like any MasterCard. Through its advertising, Auchan tries to reach every category of customers, as you can see on the advertisements in appendix 3. The first one value the well-being, hedonism and pleasure principle, the second extols the virtues of the family life and the nature. [...]

[...] Some investigations are even made to check if the employee says all the polite phrases. It shows Auchan really wants the queuing and payment time at the checkout to be as nice as possible. Doing that, the customer will perhaps forget the problems that have occurred during the shopping, and will keep in mind the last smile of the cashier and memorise that shopping at Auchan was nice. More than the pleasantness of the cashier, what the customer want, when he does his food shopping, is to save his time. [...]

[...] (2004): Stocks-Outs cause Walks-Outs, Harvard Business Review. Levy, M. & Weitz, B.A. (2004): Retailing Management. 5th ed. London: International Edition. Frogett, T. (Semester One - 2005/2006): Consumer Behaviour Seminar. Internet www.auchan.com www.auchandirect.fr www.les-numeriques.fr www.wikipedia.org Appendix Appendix The Auchan Group in the world Appendix Adapting name of the brand Appendix Auchan advertising Appendix Retail atmosphere Appendix Auchan Direct Sources: www.auchan.com Levy, M. & Weitz, B.A. [...]