Chocolate chicken?

i saw this in the pick ‘n pay store in willowbridge a week or so ago. those chocolates are R60 a box and yes, those are fresh chickens and dustbins beside them.

a wise person once told me that you cannot complain about your shoppers’ perception of you…you gave it to them.

we give them these perceptions by consciously and unconsciously telling them stories (recent post). we tell them in adverts, windows, store fittings, staff greetings, product range, pricing, the events we sponsor, radio interviews…even product adjacencies. what perception does the scene above create?

i am a big fan of pick ‘n pay, and raymond ackerman in particular. mostly it is because of the consistency over years, of the story he has told. we now “inspire him”, but he has always been “on our side”. he has been relentless in telling this story. we believe him too, as is evidenced by the massive support pick ‘n pay received during the extortion incident.

this week he penned an article in the cape times. in it he outlines what has to be done by the suppliers, retailers and the government to help us deal with rising food prices.

my concerns about the new story and the attempt to chase the wealthier consumer are twofold.

firstly, is it possible change mrs jones’ view – she totally buys that pick ‘n pay is on her side and i am not sure she wants a new story.

secondly, it is going to require a huge effort to get the story consistent across all the communication channels.

i am rooting for you mr ackerman and so, i am sure, is mrs jones (we always support those on our side!).

for the foreseeable future though, i will be getting my luxury food items from woolies….