At the Retail Summit held in Stresa on Maggiore Lake at the end of June there was a lot of talk about the challenges that the world of food will have to face and some particular questions have been asked about the innovations that digital technology could bring in this sector.
Mario Resca, President of Confimprese, explains: “Retailers continue to push on new openings that increase the level of employment, taking advantage of the positive wave of food that increasingly declines in street food.” Now it’s a real phenomenon, street food is very popular in our country from north to south, from the big city to the province. Our simple and tasty cuisine and our convivial spirit is obviously complicit, but street food is really enjoyed by everyone.
On the other hand the digital weight is still limited: e-commerce activities you can use to order take away food or apps used to book a table at the restaurant are still struggling to take off. It seems that Italians prefer genuine and fresh ingredients, prepared on time compared to those of the big chains that deliver at home. Even the waiting time does not tempt Italians to focus on the digital: the speed of service is still not optimal and they prefer to go down the street to taste the typical specialties of the area.
And whose side are you on? Do you prefer fresh street food to rediscover local traditions or the practical home delivery of some international cuisine?