CONTINENTE OPENS INNOVATION LABORATORY FOR CUSTOMERS
With an initial investment of 2.5 million euros, today was inaugurated the ‘Co-Lab: Innovation with the Customer Laboratory’, a Continente centre created specifically for the research and development of the retailer’s private label products. The space features 1,200 m2 and is located on the top floor of the Continente da Amadora store, in Lisbon.
Featuring a Kitchen and Showcooking space; Industrial Kitchen and training room for Continente Kitchen’s employees; Biochemical Laboratory; Sensory Laboratory with 12 test booths; Focus Group room; Observation Room; Beverage area; Home Cleaning Room; Beauty Room; and Design Room, it is in the Co-Lab that Continente’s teams will design their private label products, together with partners, suppliers and consumers.
In the sensorial laboratory, in addition to product tasting, two innovative techniques will be used: The Face Reader, a piece of equipment that analyses the taster’s physical reactions (facial expressions) when trying or observing products; and the Face Reader Eye Tracker, which, through infrared glasses worn by the consumer, collect information on which parts of the product/packaging customers pay the most attention.
Tânia Lucas, Private Label Commercial Director at MC, explains, “All products bearing our brand will be analysed in person at the Co-Lab or, in specific cases, at the consumer’s home, always with this team’s coordination. Continente’s goal is to continue to respond to, and exceed, consumer expectations, combining the experience of manufacturer brands with excellence in the development of our Private Label”.
“The Co-Lab is a response to our goals: to have Continente products increasingly in line with what consumers are in search for, to continue to surprise customers with exclusive innovations, to focus on the quality of our products and to reinforce the trust relationship with our partners,” adds the official.
Private label has been growing in recent years, with Portugal being, in 2022, the country with the highest growth (+2.9%) in all of Europe, compared to the previous year and taking the 6th position of the European countries in which private label products have greater weight in customers’ shopping carts.
In 2022, Continente’s Private Label represented around 925 million euros in the food area, registering a growth of more than 20% in the last year (thus, 175 million euros more), and a growth of almost 50% in the last 3 years.
“In 2023, the demand for Continente branded products is expected to intensify and that is also why it makes so much sense for MC to continue to invest, not only in Continente’s brand and products, but also in the relationship of trust and proximity with consumers, who are a critical source of information for us to have an increasingly successful range in the face of public expectations” says Tânia Lucas.
The Continente brand is over 30 years old and, currently, has over 4,000 product references, namely through the ‘Continente’, ‘Continente Equilíbrio’, ‘Continente ECO’, ‘Continente do Bebé’, ‘Continente Seleção’ and ‘Continente Bio’ ranges.
Customers interested in joining Continente’s ‘taster’ database can register at https://feed.continente.pt/co-lab, submitting the data requested in the form.
Featuring a Kitchen and Showcooking space; Industrial Kitchen and training room for Continente Kitchen’s employees; Biochemical Laboratory; Sensory Laboratory with 12 test booths; Focus Group room; Observation Room; Beverage area; Home Cleaning Room; Beauty Room; and Design Room, it is in the Co-Lab that Continente’s teams will design their private label products, together with partners, suppliers and consumers.
In the sensorial laboratory, in addition to product tasting, two innovative techniques will be used: The Face Reader, a piece of equipment that analyses the taster’s physical reactions (facial expressions) when trying or observing products; and the Face Reader Eye Tracker, which, through infrared glasses worn by the consumer, collect information on which parts of the product/packaging customers pay the most attention.
Tânia Lucas, Private Label Commercial Director at MC, explains, “All products bearing our brand will be analysed in person at the Co-Lab or, in specific cases, at the consumer’s home, always with this team’s coordination. Continente’s goal is to continue to respond to, and exceed, consumer expectations, combining the experience of manufacturer brands with excellence in the development of our Private Label”.
“The Co-Lab is a response to our goals: to have Continente products increasingly in line with what consumers are in search for, to continue to surprise customers with exclusive innovations, to focus on the quality of our products and to reinforce the trust relationship with our partners,” adds the official.
Private label has been growing in recent years, with Portugal being, in 2022, the country with the highest growth (+2.9%) in all of Europe, compared to the previous year and taking the 6th position of the European countries in which private label products have greater weight in customers’ shopping carts.
In 2022, Continente’s Private Label represented around 925 million euros in the food area, registering a growth of more than 20% in the last year (thus, 175 million euros more), and a growth of almost 50% in the last 3 years.
“In 2023, the demand for Continente branded products is expected to intensify and that is also why it makes so much sense for MC to continue to invest, not only in Continente’s brand and products, but also in the relationship of trust and proximity with consumers, who are a critical source of information for us to have an increasingly successful range in the face of public expectations” says Tânia Lucas.
The Continente brand is over 30 years old and, currently, has over 4,000 product references, namely through the ‘Continente’, ‘Continente Equilíbrio’, ‘Continente ECO’, ‘Continente do Bebé’, ‘Continente Seleção’ and ‘Continente Bio’ ranges.
Customers interested in joining Continente’s ‘taster’ database can register at https://feed.continente.pt/co-lab, submitting the data requested in the form.