Private Labels in the Austrian Food Market: A Qualitative Forecast Using the Scenario Technique

The Austrian food market may be characterized by high competitiveness, market saturation and the fact, that listing on the shelves of trade organizations’ outlets has become the imperative success factor for food producing companies. Never before has it been harder, there have never been more obstacles in reaching the point of sale - because the shelves in supermarket stores are full. The degree of concentration within the food trade sector has reached an all-time high: The three biggest supermarket chains in Austria account for more than 80% of all sales (business to consumer, B2C). Therefore, distribution of food to consumers lies in the hands of only a few organizations, which gives them huge negotiation power, which has provoked irritations in the past and currently.