This week, I read a very interesting article about how
supermarkets are having to re-evaluate their business plans as huge superstores
are no longer viable in a world where 1-in-10 consumers do all their shopping
online, while others visit superstores less regularly, opting to do smaller,
more frequent shops at convenience stores.
As a way of combatting that, Tesco has come up with a range
of new ideas to attract more people into their hypermarkets. First off, they’re
bringing the newly-acquired Giraffe restaurant chain in store, alongside nail
salons, coffee shops, community spaces and gyms. Plans might even stretch to
renting retail space to Sports Direct. ASDA – another of the big players – has
suggested it would like to bring in more local independents – bakers, butchers
etc. – in order to inject more variety into their stores.
However convenient that might seem, it sounds to me very
much like the next step in the supermarkets’ attempt to be at the heart of our
physical shopping experience, adopting key aspects of the high streets which,
in recent years, have struggled to survive in the shadow of their new-age
rivals.
But now, thanks to ‘shop local’ campaigns creating a shift
in consumers’ shopping habits, high streets across the country are showing
signs of recovery. Artisan bakeries, farm shops and independent eateries are
popping up in most towns and cities, offering consumers exactly what they want
– quality produce and excellent service.
Understandably, the retail giants want in on that. And I’m
sure, once again, they’ll offer unbelievable value to their customers,
utilising their power to unfairly hammer down the prices paid to producers
& suppliers. But on a more serious note, who really wants to visit Tesco
for a meal with friends or to grab a coffee on the way to work? After all, the reason
fewer people are visiting hyper markets is because they’re bland and
inconvenient, hence the rise of convenience stores and local independents.
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