“Channel hopping” is a well-established practice in the new multi-channel consumer, who easily goes from discount stores to supermarkets, from the farmers’ markets to online stores for his purchases, but with which rationale? Investigating the intricacies of the mind of this new anthropological species is the latest Nielsen retail and e-commerce “The Future of Grocery” survey, carried out on 30 thousand consumers in 60 countries. Which also it reveals that, while the large stores for now remain dominant, small stores (and it is no surprise: we see it also with our neighbourhood supermarkets) are the most dynamic. In terms of value, super and hypermarkets account for 51% of global sales. The survey highlights the regional differences, but the smaller stores, small supermarkets and traditional stores, have grown more in the last 12 months (4 to 6% compared to 2% for the larger stores). “Worldwide we are seeing the growth of neighbourhood retailing – said Patrick Dodd, President, Global Retailer Vertical, Nielsen – In the eyes of the global consumer, at the moment, small is beautiful”. The influence of e-commerce on the concept of proximity and convenience is evident, but the fact remains that the smaller stores are growing in all markets, developed or developing, and are mainly used for small urgent purchases or particular products.