Discounter (store)

The first low-price stores appeared in Germany in the mid -1950s , in the context of relative economic stability and minimal inflation .

During the economic crisis, discounters are very popular ^[1] .

In Russia

Due to rising food prices in Russia in 2015, price was a decisive factor for buyers ^[2] . The cost of food in daily expenses exceeded 60%, seven out of ten buyers stated that they switched to cheaper goods, and 75% said that the main factor for their choice was price, according to the data of the Ivanov Consumer Index, a nationwide survey for which on a quarterly basis conducted by order of Sberbank CIB. Already in the middle of the year, 28% of city residents surveyed by VTsIOM admitted that they were eating up savings - they were spending money deferred “for a rainy day” on daily expenses.

In search of profitable purchases, people are now ready to not only take a closer look at the price tags, but also spend more time on the purchases themselves - many run between the stores of the largest chains in search of the best prices and promotions . Shoppers began to prefer discounters and “convenience stores” to supermarkets and hypermarkets .

The management of such a store is aimed at reducing costs due to the minimum number of working personnel, a simplified interior of the trading floor and the layout of goods (in large stacks). If there is a sufficiently large network of such stores, it is practiced to constantly move batches of goods from one store to another, where there is a higher demand for this product; this saves on storage space .

Savings range from 20 to 40% and are achieved by reducing direct and variable costs.

• Lidl

A cult of economy: how retailers fight for frugal customers - RBC , Feb 2016