Senior Healthy Marketing Consultant, Sam Waterfall discovers the upmarket ‘Disney of Retail’ in downtown Hong Kong:

We know about the economic power and bustle of Hong Kong, but Food Retailing is also world class in this incredible city.

On one of my recent trips to Asia I had a particularly long layover in Hong Kong. So I did what any Healthy Marketing Consultant would do… Headed straight for the Food Shops!

… And what an incredible experience I was treated to! In this blog update I want to share with you some of what I found and, I hope, treat you to some of the “Quality Mind Stretch” that the Hong Kong Retailers gave me…

When we think of Hong Kong we think of many things: The economic engine, the fast paced lifestyle, the luxury branded goods and, of course, that incomparable skyline rising from Victoria Harbour. But we perhaps should be adding leading edge food retailing to that list.

There was so much to talk about so I’m going to focus my attention on one ‘home run’ example - C!ty’Super - probably the best quality retailing I’ve ever seen and judging by their price points, probably one of the most profitable.

How do we know great Quality?

Great quality probably tops the list in the category of “I know it when I see it”. But what does it look like? How can we define it? And, more importantly, how can we introduce some of those quality cues into our products to justify higher prices and build the customer insistence enjoyed by the world’s finest brands? Let’s take a look at this case study and answer these big questions…

So what is C!ty’Super?

C!ty'Super - 'Mega Lifestyle' Shopping in Hong Kong

If you’ve not had the pleasure of a shopping trip to C!ty’Super, let me enlighten you. According to their website, “City’Super is a Mega Lifestyle Speciality Store” - Now isn’t that fun already? They continue, “that offers a true ‘one-stop-shopping’ experience for today’s busy urban professionals. Our stores have been designed to be part of our customers’ lifestyles by fulfilling their daily needs as well as enhancing the quality of their lives.”  … There’s more and the rest is well worth a read - you can find it here.

Let’s look at a few of the techniques at work in C!ty’Super…

TECHNIQUE 1: Quality decor enhanced with colour and lighting

Light Fantastic - signage to backlighting enhance the shopping experience.

One of the first things you notice is the boutique feel they’ve created.

With a generally dark decor, they use lighting to tremendous effect to guide your attention and build a sense of luxury. This spans all aspects of the store from highlighting shelf spotlights to lit signage.

They’ve also stepped up in their choice of flooring. No sign of the generic supermarket surface here, at C!ty’Super they’ve chosen ceramic tiles and hardwood which create the impression of being in a beautifully design home kitchen or restaurant.

How can you apply this idea to your products? Clearly you won’t be attaching lights and tiles to your products, but NPD involves decisions on format, texture, typography, colour, form, material. Semiotics are critical to the impression your consumer takes from your brand. According to leading Branding Agency, Design Bridge, the decisions you take on semiotics are core to your brand identity and will be at the heart of your New Product Development choices.

When we work with our Clients, using Wennstrom’s FourFactorsTM to guide winning concept development, we ensure that all Four Factors are in balance - telling a consistent story to create a product which instantly appeals to its target consumer.

TECHNIQUE 2: Use Drama to Captivate…

What? You don't normally buy your cheese from the bubble tank? Dramatic Merchandising at work in C!ty'Super.

How do you retail cheese? You put it on the refrigerated shelf, right?

Wrong!

Not at C!ty’Super. At C!ty’Super you build a whole new display and keep cheese fresh by storing it in an illuminated tank of gently effervescing water. When I arrived at this part of the store there was a crowd of people just watching the cheese display. That’s right, just standing, watching the cheese display! Their merchandising was so good it had drawn a crowd. (And just in case you were wondering, they were buying too. Despite the advanced, multi-point till system, the lines were tailing out of the shop!) So I joined the crowd and started taking photos. C!ty’Super is creating RETAIL MAGIC. They are the “Disney of Retail”!

How can you apply this idea to your products? OK, so you’re selling yoghurt, not theme park tickets. I hear you. But the same principle ABSOLUTELY still applies! Think about how you can create drama around the benefit of your product. For example, if your product is a pouring yoghurt make sure your packaging makes it obvious it’s for pouring - switch from a regular carton to a Tetra Top with a wide cap to improve the pouring experience (and make it easy to hygienically re-seal). Make sure the product name tells the pouring story too. Sure you know it’s supposed to be a pouring yoghurt, but your shopper is seeing it for the first time and has NO IDEA. You need to make sure that every element, the pack, the name, the colour, the design, the touch, are all telling the concept story. In this way you make it easier for your consumer to ‘get’ your big idea.

TECHNIQUE 3: Think Exclusive. Think Single-minded…

Islands of exclusivity communicate precisely what's on offer at C!ty'Super

At C!ty’Super they know that if they’ve got an idea it’s worth making a big deal about. So they create themed islands. Maybe it’s a display from out of town. Maybe it’s fresh pasta. Maybe it’s a particular type of fish. But by keeping their display single-minded they attract your attention and you know what’s on offer.

How can you apply this idea to your products? Healthy Marketing Team Brand Specialist, Neal Cavalier-Smith explains the power of single-minded Brands: Pointing to Benecol he says, “Benecol only does cholesterol lowering. That’s why we all know they are the experts. They are dedicated.” Similarly Cavalier-Smith points to other single-minded brand propositions, “Danone’s Activia is focused on improved digestive transit, their Actimel brand is focused exclusively on delivering the immunity benefit.” The key here is to ask what your brand(s) and what your product(s) stand for in the mind of the consumer. When you know the answer, your brand action is to tell that single-minded story with every aspect of your proposition: pack choice, design, name, price point, etc.

TECHNIQUE 4: Act like a Quality Brand…

Duluxe. At the C!ty'Super Patisserie you don't just have the croissant, you have the Luxury Marzipan and Swiss Chocolate Croissant. Actually. Make that two.

The final example I’ll share from C!ty’Super is how they’ve gone the extra mile to Act like a Quality Brand should act. Perception is King and when it comes to retailing, C!ty Super get my vote for reigning supreme!

Tom Peters would say that they take care of the ‘Little Big Things’. I just didn’t want to leave!

In the Patisserie, they’ve just taken that little bit (make that a MASSIVE bit) of extra care to ensure that you’re not just buying another item, you’re selecting a moment of luxury, just as if you were fine dining at a 5-star hotel. Every detail has been ‘upgraded to First’ from the impression on approach to the recycled shopping bag as you check out.

How can you apply this idea to your products? I think this one is simplest to apply.

Idea 1: Just use your imagination by answering the question, “If my brand was to be served at the Four Seasons Hotel, how would I need to improve it?”. Take your team through this one. It’s well worth taking time.

Idea 2: ‘Map’ your consumers’ experience from when they first hear about your product to when they have to dispose of the container. How can you improve every step of their journey with your brand?

Move to action because Perception is Reality…

Perception is reality in branding - so make sure your brand is acting the way you want it to be seen.

There’s so much we can learn from the brands who are getting it right. This quick case study at C!ty’Super in Hong Kong shares just a few highlights. If you can apply any one of these 4 techniques you can start to improve your brand, avoid the commodity trap and command a higher price. Even during a downturn, there’s demand for quality. Are you delivering it?

Find out more…

To find out more about how to increase your prices and drive greater demand for your products and brands contact Sam Waterfall sam@healthymarketingteam.com or Nick Gray at Design Bridge nick.gray@designbridge.com. Sam and Nick will be happy to offer you a free of charge, no obligation consultation to discuss your opportunities.