The Same Approach to Being Different
By George Anderson
In his editorial in the July-August Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Retailer,
Warren Thayer describes a recent trip to Chicago that included some quality
time in his hotel room flipping through store fliers in search of a grocery
operator who was trying to find points of differentiation that didn’t begin
and end with price.
After searching diligently, Mr. Thayer discovered there was nothing to discover.
Every chain took a “lower prices” angle to market their business.
Moderator’s Comment: If price is not the sole or even
main point of differentiation, why do most supermarket ads primarily focus on
how low their prices are? How can grocers move beyond this in their advertising
and promotional programs?
Ultimately, it comes down to brand building, which takes
time and commitment. In the retail world of fast nickels over slow dimes, few
have the patience and discipline needed to accomplish this.
[George
Anderson – Moderator]