Giangiacomo Ibba – Some people open shops. And those who build human networks.
CRAI was founded in 1973 in Desenzano del Garda, not as a simple shop sign, but as a vision shared by a group of small Italian traders: to create a proximity distribution capable of being a social garrison, a culture of the territory, an authentic link with people.
In the beginning it was called Commissionarie Riunite Alta Italia. Then, to better reflect its food vocation and rootedness in the national fabric, the acronym became Commissionarie Riunite Alimentaristi Italiani.
Today, CRAI is much more than that: it is a distribution model that runs through towns and villages with over 1,800 points of sale, bringing with it not only products, but relationships, listening, shared value.
The heart of its growth? An identity that has remained true to its origins, evolving intelligently: tradition and innovation, territory and national vision, enterprise and community.
We met Giangiacomo Ibba, President of the Abbi Group and CEO of the CRAI Group, to understand how to build a future rooted in values and ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
- Can you tell us about your personal and professional career?
My entrepreneurial path has its roots in Sardinia, a land that preserves deep identities and a spirit of resilience that I have always considered part of my personal baggage. At the age of 27, in a difficult moment marked by my father’s disappearance, I found myself taking up the baton of our family business, Fratelli Ibba. It was a sudden and dense transition of meaning, which coincided with an awareness: from that moment on, responsibility and vision would no longer be abstract concepts, but concrete tools to face reality, take charge of it and transform it.
In Sardinia we have built an entrepreneurial model that has never pursued growth for its own sake, but that has always put it at the service of a broader and shared development, able to return value to territories, communities, people.
This approach has been consolidated and expanded in my current role as Managing Director of the CRAI Group, where I had the opportunity to extend that same approach to an articulated national system, composed of different realities for history and size, united by a common vision. In this context, my daily efforts are directed towards strengthening strategic cohesion, improving organizational efficiency and enhancing the role of local entrepreneurs by building a competitive network, but also to represent a modern, conscious and responsible distribution model.
- CRAI today is recognized as a proximity player. What are the levers that drive your strategy?
We have chosen to give proximity a broad meaning, which goes beyond the simple presence on the territory. For us it means guaranteeing everyone – even those living in small municipalities and inland areas – equal access to quality, service and relationships.
In this sense, proximity is also a lever for social cohesion. Our network is not only based on commercial logic, but also on a concrete commitment to local communities. We work to ensure that the right to remain in one’s territory – to live, work and develop it – is not an exception but a real possibility.
To make this sustainable over time, we invest on several levels: in customisation of formats, in the accuracy of our assortment, in an advanced logistics and in the digitalisation of processes.
In this scenario, the private brand assumes an increasingly strategic role. Our private labels now represent more than 25% of the shelf, with over 3000 references, but for us they are not simple products: they are the reflection of an industrial vision that enhances chains, territories and people. The CRAI industry, through its brand, conveys values, promotes quality, builds a solid and recognizable identity.
Promotional pressure is also relevant, but it cannot be the only lever. In a crowded and fragmented market, what really makes the difference is the quality of supply. Building an assortment means taking the responsibility of proposing what is really needed: not abundance, but essentiality, clarity, sustainability. It is a gesture of respect towards the customer, which rewards attention, consistency and long-term vision.
Our aim is to build a modern, efficient proximity that can meet the new needs of citizens and businesses.
- What does the CraiFutura project, which has particularly attracted the attention of IT Defence, represent for you?
CraiFutura is a strategic project born from the desire to strengthen the cohesion between the companies of our system, giving shape to a common identity, more recognizable and structured. In a complex market as the current one, the ability to “make system” is an essential condition for remaining competitive.
With this project, we want to overcome fragmentation by providing shared operating models, more integrated processes and uniform management tools. It is an evolution that aims to generate efficiency and solidity, but also to enhance the local peculiarities, maintaining intact the central role of the entrepreneur in its reference contexts.
But sustainability also means looking at the future of people, encouraging generational change, building spaces for listening and active participation. The CRAI Young People’s Board, a group of under 35 employees of the CRAI Hubquarter, which supports the General Directorate in a stable way, is part of this direction. It is not a formal project, but a living laboratory where the new generations can contribute ideas, proposals and visions. It is a concrete example of cultural sustainability: creating the conditions for change to be driven from within, with new energy and shared responsibility.
Our sustainability is not limited to statements: it is made of daily, consistent and systemic choices. Because to really grow, today, it also means to know how to give back.
- What challenges do you see on the horizon for the distribution world and how is CRAI preparing to face them?
The world of distribution is undergoing a profound transformation. The evolution of consumer behaviour, the technological acceleration and the increasing focus on sustainability are rewriting people’s priorities and expectations. Today, more than ever, there is a need for reference points: places that are accessible, recognizable, capable of offering not only products but also services, relationships and experiences. In this context, proximity takes on a new meaning: it is no longer just physical closeness, but social response to the changes taking place, space of relationship and community presence.