ABSTRACT
During the last years, the retail industry has changed enormously due to the ongoing digitalization, accelerated also by the coronavirus disease in 2019. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the emerging trends in grocery retailing in Italy and to investigate the key aspects of a new e-grocer player represented by online grocery delivery service start-ups. An explorative qualitative research design was carried out through semi-structured interviews with marketing managers to identify the main challenges currently faced by grocery retailers, then a case study of a grocery delivery start-up (Gorillas) was carried out to understand its business model and current role within the grocery retail landscape. The preliminary findings highlighted as main trends characterizing grocery retailing: an e-commerce spread, new consumption habits based on digital skills, convenience, and last-minute needs. All these trends are at the basis of the online grocery delivery service that is developing quickly in Europe and also in Italy. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.