Italian grocery retailer Esselunga has confirmed that Bernardo Caprotti, the founder and owner of the company, will step down as chairman.

The company said Caprotti will “continue to guide Esselunga” but did not comment further. Caprotti announced his resignation on Monday (3 October).

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

A spokesperson for the company said she did not know who will replace Caprotti in the role.

Caprotti set up Esselunga in 1957 and the company currently has 143 stores. The group reported sales of more than EUR6bn (US$8bn) in 2010.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact