During a trip to Southern California, I had an opportunity to visit with a grocer friend who is the Director of Differentiation for a local chain of grocery stores. He gave me a tour of two of his stores. The atmosphere created in these stores is like a fiesta. Differentiation was all around us.The aroma of fresh tortillas being made in the store’s tortilla bakery, met us as soon as we entered the store. The smell of fresh tamales was intoxicating. I wish I could have packed up everything in the bakery and taken it home with me. The produce department, the meat department, the deli… every department had an emphasis on fresh food and friendly service; all ways for these stores to differentiate themselves from their competition. This fresh food emphasis is evident in the store circular and with store policies.....including a "fresh for 5 days or money back guarantee" policy on produce and a "cut daily" guarantee in the meat department.
The meat manager stood on the customer-side of counter, using a microphone to call out ticket numbers for customers waiting for their turn. While doing this, he was constantly talking to the customers and making a party atmosphere for them while they waited to be served. The meat department was definitely a destination in the store, with so much activity taking place. While I could not understand much of what was being said, I was drawn to it just to be a part of it.
Throughout the store, product sampling was offered. I was happy to see dairy foods were well represented in many of the items we sampled, and cheese was a key ingredient in many cases. The dairy department had a vast assortment of cheese and drinkable yogurts, again providing differentiation for the product needs of specific shoppers.
Differentiation will help a grocery store win customers which will help to build strong and healthy businesses. How does your local grocery store differentiate itself to appeal to its shoppers’ needs?