The Food & Beverage industry has been battling to keep pace with dramatic shifts in consumer behavior over the past decade. For example, we have witnessed the rise of the self-centric consumer and seen an increasing focus on “eating well”, as consumer interest rises in the healthiness of foods, the sustainability of supply chains and whether or not ingredients are locally sourced.

COVID-19 has caused further significant disruption to every part of the industry. Across the world, consumer habits changed almost overnight, as stay-at-home orders and other social distancing measures were enforced.

But how do the trends, threats and opportunities differ across European countries?

Is e-commerce enhancement the most pressing issue across those territories? Or will more traditional markets prioritize improvements to the in-store experience to build market share, over and above the levels of digital investment that other regions are racing to implement?

In this report, AlixPartners presents a series of regional perspectives from our team of in-market Food & Beverage experts, including France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.

The report includes perspectives on:

  • The retailer dilemma to meet consumer aspirations for value and increased quality
  • An e-commerce evolution in traditional markets
  • Rewiring logistics to meet consumer demand for “local”
  • Identifying and harnessing new “moments of consumption”