Towards strategic CSR and communication: a comparative study over Grocery and Banking sectors between Italy and the UK

The research investigates the extent to which Banking and Grocery retailers use Corporate Social Responsibility in accordance to evolving consumers’ expectations and build a strategic model of Corporate Shared Value to strive for economic and social returns simultaneously. The paper adopts a qualitative approach, based on the comparative case study methodology by investigating a sample of twelve Banking and Grocery retailers in Italy and the UK. Differences and similarities in CSR as new strategic model among countries and retail sectors emerge, while the chance for both Italian and UK retail companies is to adopt the best practices emerging from the case studies to turn their CSR programmes into a strategic business model that will allow a stronger retailer-consumer relationship based on social improvements and a reinforcement of their brand image.