According to recent reports, ASDA is exploring an idea both ambitious and unique in it’s proposition.
With online sales continuing to surge ahead, large out-of-town retail destinations are looking at ways to utilise the archetypal aircraft hangars, synonymous with the big boys of supermarket retail.
ASDA’s CEO Andy Clarke outlined a pilot last week that proposes a “new model for retail”.
The vision is simply to release excess shelf space for use by local communities, as part of a wider CSR-led plan to improve relationships with key stakeholders.
Following on from 2012’s ‘Community Life programme’ the new initiative promises to go much further. Between now and the end of the year, the RSA (a body devoted to “enlightened thinking” will ask 3 communities what they want from their local ASDA.
Paul Budder, Chief of the RSA 2020 Public service hub says that there are no definite timescales or outcomes and that they may propose a model, which, at the end of the day, ASDA does not accept.
Whilst we certainly applaud the ambitious thinking behind the idea, there are some serious question marks over what this may actually mean for both consumers and ASDA itself.
One of the key points is in asking communities what they want – for instance, there will normally be a community led spokesperson, who speaks on behalf of a small committee who may not be all that representative of ASDA’s enormous customer base.
Whether they like it or not – ASDA is a supermarket, who retail goods to the general public. ASDA’s reputation has been built upon offering consistently, competitively priced goods.
When people visit their local ASDA, they are in a shopping mindset.
Experiential marketing within supermarkets is generally quite limited to low level activity, often centred around sampling (front of store, or in the aisles)
Yet this activity is crucial to driving trial and awareness for products sold in-store.
Remove the shackles from experiential and we offer consumers so much more than handing out product samples.
When executed correctly, experiential creates true engagement with an audience that creates both trust and feel-good emotions which put smiles on people’s faces.
These positive emotional connections benefit consumers long after the weekly shop.
Hotcow’s recent research shows us that product sales, following a face to face campaign, last for up to 6 months after initial engagement – 4 times longer than the industry average for traditional media.
When consumers enjoy a positive brand-led experience, they become more receptive to retail as a whole. This can only benefit the supermarket by furthering the loyalty factor they ultimately want.
It is worth noting that concerns were raised at the launch, that Asda are simply looking to replicate or replace existing community facilities.
Buddery admits that the scheme could be derailed if the retailer is seen to be throwing it’s weight around: “It’s a very important question for them to answer. Is this manoeuvring to monopolising these places?”
Questions are also being asked as to how this would link with other initiatives to save the high street.
Whilst ASDA’s corporate affairs director Paul Kelly hopes the project will “work in parallel with projects such as Mary Portas’”, the message does not sit so easily with local traders who are suspicious that ASDA may have realised they may have made a mistake in building so many out-of-town spaces and are simply trying to shift community facilities out of town to make up for it.
Whatever the reasons for the project, if ASDA have an large excess of space in their out of town stores, they should look carefully at what the shoppers want, over communities who have no real connection with stores.
If ASDA want to engage more with shoppers, they need to offer them an exciting, engaging experience that is relevant to them, at that moment.
Bring front-of-store sampling inside and instead, create a sophisticated, experience-led consumer journey that gets people talking.
Once you accomplish this, social media and positive word of mouth will bring more and more people in-store.
We believe ASDA should really concentrate on injecting genuine fun and excitement into the weekly shop, because this is ultimately what shoppers really want.
Hotcow is a multi-award winning Experiential Marketing agency. We get brands in front of consumers in ways that persuade them to buy. We fully implement our ideas; nothing needs to be farmed out. For more information or free consultation, contact us
