I immediately found two news articles on the rebranding of Tesco's value range:
Tesco ditch basic range after admitting shoppers are 'too embarrassed' to buy the blue and white striped products
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2208028/Tesco-ditch-basic-range-admitting-shoppers-embarrassed-buy-blue-white-striped-products.htmlAlthough the Daily Mail is a questionable source, the content is actually quite interesting and has highlighted the main problems with the old Tesco packaging.
"The price benefits were obvious. But some felt more than a little embarrassed to put Tesco’s blue-and-white-striped Value range in their baskets. So much so, that the supermarket was forced to ditch the range completely. The chain has admitted it relaunched the budget own-brand because shoppers ‘didn’t feel comfortable’ about picking it up."
People feel embarrassed being seen with the value range in their baskets, the trolley of food items you push around the store give an insight into your lifestyle. People don't want to be associated with something that is cheap or looked down upon as they don't want others to look down on them.
People feel embarrassed being seen with the value range in their baskets, the trolley of food items you push around the store give an insight into your lifestyle. People don't want to be associated with something that is cheap or looked down upon as they don't want others to look down on them.
"But customers told us that they questioned the quality of the Value brand because of the packaging and some didn’t feel comfortable putting it in their trolleys.
‘Tesco was the first supermarket to launch a value range. . .but customer needs have changed. We have listened closely to what our customers want and Everyday Value will provide products that taste better, look better and are healthier.’"
Customers questioned the quality of the product because of the packaging! When a product is concealed it is the job of the packaging to tell the consumers what the product is like. When the packaging looks cheap and low quality then consumers naturally relate the packaging qualities to the product inside and believe that the product is also low quality. In an attempt to win customers back they have changed the name to Everyday Value and replaced it with a design which is easier on the eyes and doesn't symbolise cheap.Every little hurts – Tesco’s new budget brand lacks snob value
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9188573/Every-little-hurts-Tescos-new-budget-brand-lacks-snob-value.html"The 550 lines that currently comprise the Value range are being repackaged to look more stylish with retro 1950s artwork rather than stark blue-and-white lines, which did rather scream “budget!” from shoppers’ baskets."
The artwork has been changed across 550 lines, this really shows why the designs need to be simple - so that they can successfully be applied to hundreds of different items. Although I won't be redesigning all 550 items, I want my design to theoretically have the ability to cover the range of products.
"...will opt neither for the very cheapest nor the most luxurious, but for something in between. Supermarkets need to strike a balance between quality and value for money, and reflect that in their branding."
This is a valid point, most consumers won't buy the cheapest but neither will they buy the most expensive. They want good quality for good value. My designs need to show that the value products are just as good as the standard ones and the product shouldn't be seen as 'cheap' but as great value for money.
'Value' supermarket brands as good as standard – study
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/shopping/2010/08/value-supermarket-brands-as-good-as-standard
This article has been really useful as it has backed up what my initial thoughts. The study carried out by trading standards found that there was no nutritional differences, in almost half of the products tested, between basic value brands and the supermarket-own brands. They found out the 50% of tasters preferred the value products in comparison to the supermarkets-own brand. This destroys the argument that buying value means you are compromising on flavour and taste, it also goes some way to proving it is the packaging that affects the publics perceptions of quality. Trading standards found that if an average family downshifted to the cheaper alternative they could save around £850 a year off their food bill! This could be one way of selling the value range - making people aware of how much they'd save for other things in their life.
Netmums - What is your opinion of the Tesco Value Range?
One mum had already asked a question that gave a range of useful answers. Netmums, although slightly painful to scroll through, has been a helpful source of information. Mum's can speak freely about how they feel and view brands, they speak honestly with no concern of judgement. They are a community that openly share their views, this provides reliable opinions which provide a valuable insight into how really consumers perceive value products. I have picked out a few comments below which have caught my attention. "some stuff is good some not so much... we buy the biscuits, chocolate spread, the orange juice and the cakes. we used to buy a lot more when the kiddies were little but I don't like putting Tesco value products in there lunch boxes for school ( don't want them to get bullied!) some stuff is rubbish though like the jam yuck!!! and frozen meat products like fishfingers, nuggets there horrible!"
This comment shocked me because although I knew being bullied could be a possibility, it was a surprise to hear it was a genuine concern of someone. To me it seems superficial, teaching your children that you should be concerned with what people think of you and buy particular products, that might be out of financial limits, just to fit in. However I think this is a genuine concern of mothers out there, when I conduct my research I will try and find out if more people feel like this. Perhaps if the products had nicer packaging then mothers wouldn't worry about putting them in their children's lunches.
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"We buy the tinned tomatoes, the pasta, the cereal bars (toddler loves them!) Lemon curd, peanut butter, flour, squash, passata, yorkshire pudding and a few more would never buy any of their meats or anything but they're fab for cupboard staples
"This has been a comment made by a few mothers, there seems to be a particularly negative view towards buying value meat products, they are seen as unreliable and really low quality. I would quite like to redesign a meat packaging and then ask those who are sceptical if the re-designed package would make them consider buying or even trying the meat.
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"Hi,
As a family we use a wide range of Tesco Value products, they are practically staples in our house, I tend to use value ingredients for all my cooking from scratch, it all tastes fine so far. I have not tried all of the range but I will try most things once. As for the problem of lunchboxes and bullying I put most of my daughters lunch items in little pots or clingfilm in her lunch box, mainly as she prefers smaller portions of things but I guess this could also be done to avoid other children noticing the brand.
It is not always the product but how you cook it. We have paid out for brand name products that are not up to much but people buy them because it is the thing to have. I have no complaints from my daughter with her lunchbox and we eat well every night and because we have saved pennies on our food shop we are able to put it towards other treats like the cinema etc.
People just turn their nose up at stuff because they are not prepared to try because the packaging etc is not as eyecatching. In all honesty I feel that shop brands, in any supermarket, have come a long way since I was a child taking it to school. I love the fact that I can make fresh, home cooked food at a fraction of the cost I used to before I took a chance with value ranges, it gives me more money to spend on fresh fruit and treats. In our house we have a rule with new products/meals, everyone tries it once and then if it is not liked we don't have it again. This is how I have learned to cook, one recipe a week, everyone tries it and decides if it will be used again. We now have lots of firm family favourites and they are nearly all made with basic ingredients from the Tesco Value range.
This woman made some really good points, she comments on there being no difference in taste and the products uses when preparing a meal from scratch for a fraction of the cost. This fits in with the results found by trading standards showing there is no real difference between brand and value. She is aware that the packaging is a big reason why people turn their noses up and aren't willing to try it. This is a welcomed comment, it shows that some people can see through the facade of packaging design.
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"I use the value tinned tomatos, spaghetti, pasta, fromage frais, cheese, fruit, baby potatos, veg, pizza and garlic bread and some cleaning products. no issue so far, but still feel weird buying the value meat."
Again another anti-meat comment, I am interested to hear why people avoid the meat - with so many strict regulation checks they wouldn't be able to sell it if the quality was not good.
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"Forgot about tinned tomatoes and bran flakes, the Heinz tinned tomatoes are something like £1.30 a tin when the value is 31p, I just don't understand why you'd get the Heinz when it's exactly the same."
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"I'm trying to buy more of the value range apart from the toilet roll, and frozen foods, i cant bring myself to buy them yet. Some of faves so far are the value coco pops, bran flakes, yogurts, crisps, biscuits,jaffa cakes, squash, orange and apple juice, also starting to try the cleaning products , like polish and toilet cleaner. They all seem ok and do the job. I will do anything to cut the food bill, So going to read what others are buying!."
Toilet roll I can understand, it is good to see people are willing to try value products. A lot of people are trying value in order to cut down their food bill, it would be interesting to see if is a theme when I create the questionnaire.
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The value range is really beneficial for families on a budget.
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Cooking from scratch and buying the basic brands has helped cut down the food bill. It is interesting that the mother downshifted with her brand choices but didn't notice any difference so went one further by converting to the basic brands.
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Exploring a range of different comments and opinions from mothers, the predominant food shop buyer, has been an interesting insight into their honest views and concerns relating to the value range. From here I will begin writing my own questionnaire and take it out in Leeds to see if consumer's views are similar.
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