Auchan offers an interesting case.
At the end of 2024, the French retailer made a strategic choice: reduce promotional intensity and invest more heavily in everyday shelf prices.
The logic made sense.
Improve price competitiveness.
Strengthen long-term price perception.
Rely less heavily on promotions.
And Auchan acted decisively.
In Q1 2025, its promotional pressure fell by 23%, compared with a 7% decline across the market.
But there's a problem with changing price perception: