A 'uniform' approach to building sales
expanding their product ranges, introducing new services such as
banking and insurance, developing online shopping services - but
building growth essentially boils down to one key factor - customer
loyalty.
Of course, supermarkets have tried many ways of keeping their customer base happy - and therefore ensuring that they come back on a regular basis. Loyalty cards are perhaps the most obvious means employed by the supermarket groups to try and entice customers through their doors on a regular basis, but they are by no means the only one.
Everyday low pricing (EDLP) is increasingly seen as an effective means of driving sales growth through repeat purchases, although promotional pricing is often used as a means of tempting shoppers away from their regular store.
Making the shopping experience a pleasant one is also playing an increasingly important role, with many chains in an almost constant state of refitting and remodelling. As Sainsbury's recent performance in the UK shows, getting this wrong can be disastrous for sales - the British group has seen a major downturn in turnover as shoppers got fed up with the constant refitting of outlets and went elsewhere.
But a pleasant shopping experience does not necessarily depend entirely on the look of the store, of course. The staff play an important role as well, especially after a refit when products are often in a completely different location than before.
It goes without saying that all retail groups demand that their employees be friendly and helpful, but the way they look also plays a major part in customer satisfaction - and is frequently an area overlooked by companies focusing on more grandiose prpgrammes.
This was emphasised by a recent survey carried out by the European Textile Services Association (ETSA) which looked at the role that staff uniforms played in the overall shopping experience.
According to the ETSA survey, carried out across Europe in the summer of 2003, uniforms enhance staff credibility and ease of identification and play a far more important role in improving the shopping experience than might originally be thought.
With an increasingly wide range of goods on offer in supermarkets, and with ever-changing layouts as stores are refitted, shoppers are often in search of help and assistance - which is why an overwhelming 88 per cent of those questioned by ETSA said that they would be more likely to visit a shop where the staff wore uniforms.
The survey showed that 59 per cent of those questioned said that uniforms lent staff an air of credibility and authority, while 56 per cent said that uniforms give customers a feeling of confidence in the staff's ability and knowledge. Unsurprisingly, 97 per cent of respondents thought that uniforms were helpful in identifying staff.
But looking the part is not enough on its own, the survey suggests. While respondents had confidence in staff who wore uniforms, they were not quite as convinced that wearing a uniform meant that staff would be more polite (just 47 per cent agreed). And perhaps most tellingly from the point of view of customer loyalty, just 40 per cent believed that uniforms meant that they would enjoy a higher level of service or product quality - evidence that supermarkets still have more to do to ensure that their employees do their bit to contribute to growth.
"With proper uniforms, customers can differentiate between general staff like shelf packers and cashiers and the more specialist staff such as butchers, bakers or fishmongers," said Robert Long of the ETSA.
"This survey highlights the importance that the general public attach to uniforms in this sector. Uniforms boost customer confidence, lend an impression of professionalism and help customers to enjoy a simpler and more convenient shopping experience. Uniforms are an effective and economical way to show customers that a company is professional, efficient and helpful."
