The phenomenon of large distribution in Spain is relatively recent. In the years 74 and 75, Carrefour established itself in our country with a hypermarket in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona). From this hypermarket a generation of young Spaniards would emerge who would undertake the professional path of distribution, traveling and implementing the new formulas to the rhythm of the opening of new hypermarkets by the French firm.
The panorama of distribution in Spain, until then, was limited to a few supermarkets of the Simago chain and the department stores whose maximum exponent El Corte Inglés and Galerías Preciados represented modernity. The rest, it could be said that the majority, consisted of the traditional trade of family shops that covered the various sectors of distribution.
The arrival of large-scale distribution in Spain supposes not only a more European and modern form of distribution, but also the anticipation of radical changes in Spanish society. These new consumer habits of Spanish society go hand in hand with four important factors:
- The incorporation of Spanish women into the world of work Motorization and expansion of the car fleet Greater family purchasing power Scarce modernization of commercial structures.
These four factors, among others in my opinion key, represented the success factors of the implantation of the Great Distribution in Spain.
It should be noted that at the beginning, there were many specialists in the sector who predicted a great failure to these new "intruders". Naturally they were wrong, the traditional commerce sector suffered among many other ills:
- -A scarce modern commercial training-Total lack of short and medium-term marketing strategies-Little vision of the radical change that was coming in the habits of the Spanish in consumption.
All these shortcomings together with:
- -Poor adaptation between the services and products demanded by customers-High margins that were practiced in Spain at that time-Lack of will to innovate-Continuing spirit inherited from generation to generation of traditional commerce
They made their weakness one more factor in the success of the new competitors.
Distributors, manufacturers, chambers of commerce, government and institutions defended tooth and nail the indefensible:
A traditionally poorly trained and competitive business, more oriented to the satisfaction of its own benefits than to the satisfaction of its customers.
If there is a sector that faces the approval of the public on a daily basis, that is the distribution sector. This customer orientation was and is ultimately what consolidated and consolidates the development of large stores in Spain.
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