An 'intoxicating mix'

A very happy New Year to everyone and I hope it’s a successful one for you.

For those of you who follow the content I share on LinkedIn, you may have seen a post late last year referring to the Kingfisher One Project. I had visited the B&Q Warehouse in Milton Keynes and for the first time saw the new unified Decorating Accessories product range.

Despite my knowledge of the Kingfisher One strategy, I was still surprised how well-known, UK brands such as LG Harris had been significantly marginalised in favour of the Dial brand. The new range looked good on shelf, the supporting point of sale was clear and simple and yet I felt consumer choice had been dramatically reduced in favour of a range that can be sourced more cost effectively and rolled out to multiple retail formats. My post, simply said ‘The Kingfisher unified range looks great on shelf, but it seems wrong that well known UK brands like LG Harris have been so marginalised, limiting consumer choice. What about giving customers what they want?

The reason for mentioning this, is the debate the post caused. Of all the content I’ve shared in the last couple of months, this one seemed to create the most interest and the discussion has now been viewed over 20,000 times. If you get a moment, the comments made by other people make interesting reading.

Steve Collinge - The Kingfisher unified range looks great on shelf.

After a defence of the need for brands from certain quarters, one of the contributors wrote:- ‘Folks, don't get caught up in the bubble of your brands, The customer sees a paint roller and if they have to paint a room, they will buy whatever is on the shelf’.

Don’t get caught up in the bubble of your brands – what an interesting comment and what a great challenge to brand owners. Many of us have the experience of selling, building or managing brands and others have worked hard over many years to develop the reputation of a brand with their target audience.

As brand owners, if we don’t consistently deliver what our audience, clients or consumers want, then we very quickly become at best stale and uninteresting and at worst irrelevant and forgotten. Understanding our customers and consumers, whether we’re a retailer, manufacturer or supplier has never been more critical than it is today.

Which is why I find the current approach taken to brands by the various retailers of home improvement and garden products so fascinating.....

Unfortunately, we don't have enough space to feature the whole article here, so to continue reading please go to the link below:-

Steve Collinge - An 'intoxicating mix'

Please feel free to contact me directly on steve@irg.co.uk.

Source: Steve Collinge – Managing Director Insight Retail Group Ltd