With growing concerns about food origin, food safety, responsible farming practices and over-reliance on mass-produced foods, there was an opportunity for a grocery retailer to emerge as a leader in helping people eat better, so they can feel and do better. Sobeys made becoming the champion of the affordable better food movement their new brand mission. Every interaction with their customers needed to align with this mission to create a coherent customer experience.
While over 70% of Canadians stated they wanted to eat healthier, only 18% of Canadians cook meals from scratch. This is caused by a variety of barriers that include less time to cook at home, eroding cooking skills and conflicting messages about nutrition.
Redesign the entire customer journey to help Canadians eat better. This was achieved by:
• An advertising campaign to introduce the mission using Jamie Oliver as a spokesperson
• In-store signage that helped guide consumers through the store and that reinforced Sobeys’ brand pillars
• Creating in-store zones that guide shoppers to healthy and convenient choices
• Greater variety and visibility of sustainable choices, including organic and locally sourced produce
• A line of better-for-you private label products and in-store packaging that emphasizes quality and craftsmanship
• A holistic décor approach throughout the store, resulting in a more cohesive “urban market” experience in all departments
• Communicating exclusive offers and recipes through digital channels and the Better Food News flyer
Brand coherence was achieved through rigorous design resulting in an amazing basket size growth of almost 30% per shopping trip. Sobeys is now the market leader in the healthy affordable food movement. The campaign fuelled an impressive $3 to 5-million year-over-year same-store sales growth.