Food, like art, faces a dilemma between modern innovation and traditional loyalty. While many dare to break taboo and combine the old, new, local and international, it is nowhere other than Florence, Italy, that this gastronomic renaissance takes full force. Eataly, a gourmet Italian food market, has taken hold of the 21st century food dilemma and shrewdly targeted an unpreceded consumer base: here, Florentine locals, modern foreigners, gastronomic intellects, and curious, inexperienced foodies all come together in the same check-out line.
Before one even sees Eataly’s savory products, he encounters the store´s eclectic bookshop, a perfect illustration of Eataly´s composition. Charming books in the shape of the American cheeseburger are staked against others shaped like the Italian Margarita pizza. Some display a mix of English and Italian, such as ¨the Little Black Book of Vino,¨ while other cook books dive into the specific dishes of Tuscany. Skimming the titles will quickly tip you off that Eataly is targeting a massive consumer base: items appeal to those who treat cooking as art and those with no prior experience; to those who pride themselves on la cucina semplice Toscana and to brave souls exploring modern dishes across the world.
It is impossible, you may be thinking, that a store displaying a gaudy hamburger-shaped book can maintain an authentic European feel. Yet Eataly has done just that– and with style! The secret to Eataly´s success lies in unique marketing tactics. Upbeat Italian music gives a bounce to your step while simultaneously reminding you where you are shopping. Natural light radiating from the transparent ceiling gives products a warm, outdoors glow that one only sees otherwise in an outdoor market. Cleanliness, a relatively universal quality, appeals to the large international population. Plastic umbrella bags, unusually cold refrigerator display cases, and air tight glass covers all attract international consumers, especially Americans who, in my experience, are often disturbed by the lack of hygienic practices in traditional Italian markets like Mario´s.
Interior design sets the artsy, European atmosphere. The sleek simplistic design enables one to focus solely on the food, which echoes of the Italian cooking style to accent few, simple flavors. Small details remind you that you in a store that values both the modern and the traditional. In the meat section, one can see a female butcher chopping with gloves on a perfectly white countertop. I was especially struck by the clear, identical packaging of Eataly´s goods. Never before have I seen a supermarket so effectively homogenize its display cases. This detail was worth the extra effort; it is deliciously easy to skim and see all the possible pasta, meat, or bread packages. Consumer service was excellent as well, which is worth noting because Florentine employees are reputed as snobby, or chaotic in the case of Mario´s. These calm, attentive employees seemed to be everywhere; one could not even bag their own fruit. Eataly´s design even stretched into the worker´s uniform, which on the back assures one that in Eataly, ¨facciamo cose buone.¨
Another architectural quality stopped me in my tracks. The storage room was shockingly not only in the center of the store, but with massive glass walls. It was as if to say, ¨we may be a big business, but we have nothing to hide.¨ Both local skepticism of authentic and foreign suspicion of hygiene were won over by this bold interior design.
The list of marketing details that build Eataly´s complex environment– of authentic, Florentine, modern, and international– goes on and on. The Gelateria Alpina´s slick marble countertops have a massive wallpaper backdrop of the Alpine mountains´ crisp blue sky. Pictures of freshly shaven chefs´ pearly white smiles on the covers tell you to trust this mass-produced product. Quotes, often from the Renaissance, line walls for no other purpose than to induce nostalgia. Shot sized sweets are at an arm´s reach for those who cannot resist the calls of their sweet tooth. A fun and innovative cooking supply section displays a sign that says it all: ¨Italian design meets Eataly- objects for your table and your home” The personal touch and appeal to art generates a store connection to the consumer.
Down to one product, in fact, Eataly has managed to attract complete opposite types of consumers. Take a package of panforte magherita for example: its certification of origin appeals to the typical Mario´s customer, while art around the title of a dramatic, naked baby floating in flowers authenticates to the tourist that the cookie is authentic. Then, for another who cares more about hygiene, the airtight package wins them over. Many products are like the panforte magherita; they flaunt titles like ¨le specialità artigianali,¨ ¨producto in Italia¨, DOP, ¨sponsored by Slow Food,¨ and the green ¨biologico.¨ Throughout the store, one can feel a sense of loyalty to Italian brands. Maps in each section of the store demonstrate what part of Italy a few select products were purchased from. One feels more, not less, faithful to the Italian agricultural industry by shopping in Eataly.
As one ponders what authenticity even means anymore in this modern-day renaissance, it may be necessary to stop for an espresso. Here in Eataly, one does not even need to check out to take a rest. Climb a stainless steel and glass staircase to see the dramatic entrance of Eataly´s indoor restaurant. There, two men in suits are waiting to serve you –in case you had any doubts a restaurant within a superstore could be legitimate. You can buy a drink in the Italian-esc bar next to restaurant, where wine is poured directly out of wood barrels. After a few hours subject to Eataly´s convincing aesthetics and marketing tactics, you too may throw your hands up to this fine balancing act between the international drive for modernity and local Florentine nostalgia.
The People Element 