Certainty in the Supermarket

I don’t often go to supermarkets. I’m not keen on the experience and would rather spend my time doing something more productive – like writing newsletters. However, in the name of science and marketing research, I’ve found myself doing more shopping recently. I started with Certainty – the strategy that is all about being a safe pair of hands, of delivering exactly what customers expect. No more and no less. No frills. Just good old-fashioned service and peace of mind.

For me, Tesco epitomises Certainty. Even their strapline in the UK, “Every little helps” doesn’t tell you to expect the highest quality or promise sky-high prices. Which is good. If I want some basic supplies, I will go to Tesco – or more likely order online from their website – for the cat food, Coke and coffee to be delivered.

Is Certainty about low prices and basic service? No – it’s about setting boundaries so that customers know what to expect. Then it’s about delivering what you say you’ll deliver.

To test out my Certainty vs cheap theory, I steeled myself and visited a local Aldi. An interesting experience. Yes, the products were much cheaper than in Tesco, but it was hard to find what I was looking for. The aisles were crammed with shoppers rushing around, trying to grab the latest deals. There were boxes stacked everywhere, with products waiting to be put on shelves. There were no members of staff anywhere to be seen – absolutely no chance of even trying to ask for oysters or Wagyu Beef! The only staff I saw were the ones on the tills. Not enough tills open, to deal with the long snaking queues of customers. No cheery greeting from the till staff – just shoving products along the belt as quickly as possible.

Aldi don’t use Certainty to promote their shops. They are not a ‘safe pair of hands’. They can’t even guarantee that you can buy the same brand from one week to the next. It’s a shame, but I think that Aldi are still just marketing the business on price. “Let’s be the cheapest and people will come and buy from us” is probably what their business strategy says. I don’t consider myself to be a supermarket snob, as I’m ‘happy’ to venture into somewhere like Tesco. But the experience of shopping in Aldi was not one I plan to put myself through again – even for research and for my loyal readers of Scribbles. I do understand that some people need to shop where groceries and goodies are cheap and that’s not for me. I would rather pay a bit more for a safer feeling. Of that, I am quite certain!

Is Certainty the strategy that will make your business stand out this year?