Assortment Planning of Plant-Based Beverages in Two Different Sales Channels: Composition, Features and Claims Decisions in Large Retail Chains and Online Distribution

The aim of this study was to assess the main characteristics of the supply of plant-based beverages comparing two different sales channels: the physical stores of large retail distribution (LRD) and the online shop of the major producers present in the Italian market. In total, 1950 references were analysed, 1488 recorded in physical stores and 462 in the online shops. For each reference, information was collected concerning the product type, certifications, packaging, indication of origin, price and label claims. Different formats (hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores and discount shops) were considered in the data collection phase in the physical stores located in the Northwest-Italy. All references recorded during the data collection were categorised according to grouping criteria such as product type, presence and type of claims, indication of origin and packaging. The main results of this research confirmed that the two analyzed sales channels (direct and online) meet the consumers demands of healthy products, with functional and higher nutritional characteristics. At the same time, a significant number of considered PBB was organic certified following the trend of an increasingly competitive sector. Finally, the two types of sales (direct and online) differ also in terms of marketing communication strategy and price policy.