Over €270 million in investments between 2026 and 2028 to support network development, modernize stores, and strengthen logistics, technology, and expertise. Conad Adriatico is preparing for the next phase of growth after closing 2025 with revenues exceeding €2,35 billion, up 4,83%, and overall growth of 27% over the past five years.
The program was the focus of the Cooperative's Autumn Meeting, which brought together entrepreneurial members and collaborators in Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, on October 8th. Titled "Roots and Responsibility: Cooperating in a Changing World," the meeting addressed changes in the economy and consumption, the prospects for retail, and the applications of artificial intelligence.
Conad Adriatico currently has 446 stores, 261 entrepreneurial members, and approximately 9.000 employees, with a total market share of 17,64%. According to data released by the Cooperative, Conad is the leading retailer in Abruzzo, Marche, and Molise. This scale requires investments to be supported by management tools suited to increasingly complex businesses.
"The growth achieved in recent years has given us a stronger Cooperative, but also a greater responsibility: to ensure that size and investment translate into greater productivity, competitiveness, and quality of service," said CEO Antonio Di Ferdinando.
The three-year plan will address both network development and modernization, along with logistics and technological innovation. Alongside structural improvements, the Cooperative identifies training as a necessary component to improve processes and decision-making capacity.
“Innovation and artificial intelligence represent significant opportunities if they help us improve processes and the quality of decisions, but our model will continue to be based on people and the entrepreneurial skills of our Partners,” added Di Ferdinando.
Sebastiano Barisoni, deputy director of Radio 24, outlined the macroeconomic scenarios, while sociologist Francesco Morace analyzed the evolution of consumer values and behaviors. Alfonso Giuliano, head of Trade at Circana, delved into the main retail trends.
The opportunities of AI were addressed by Daria Ebano, Enterprise Manager Retail at Microsoft Italy, while Roberta Fileni spoke on corporate leadership. Journalist and author Beppe Severgnini provided closing remarks; the discussion was moderated by Maria Cristina Alfieri, director and general secretary of the Conad ETS Foundation.
"This is also the value of cooperation: sharing knowledge, tools, and vision, while maintaining a strong entrepreneurial responsibility for each member," emphasized President Emiliano Ciaschetti, emphasizing the role of dialogue in addressing a changing market.
The network's growth also extends to local production chains. In 2025, Conad Adriatico collaborated with 529 local suppliers, generating a turnover exceeding €475 million. This figure demonstrates the importance of its relationships with regional businesses and ties the Cooperative's commercial development to the local production capacity.
