UNITED KINGDOM - This week UK major retailer Tesco turns enthusiastically back to organics with a new organic brand manager that will review the range, price, quality and communication for organic food in Tesco stores in all UK.
At Organic Trade Board (OTB) meeting on September 22, Go for Growth, Tesco announced that it has employed an organic brand manager as part of the retailer's promise to get organic produce back on the shelves.
Last year actually Tesco reduced the organic line because of the economic recession and the impact it had on customer spending. "Consumers were trying to reduce their monthly outgoings and they did stop buying organic produce", said Andrea Mulqueen, head of Tesco’s organic fresh produce team.
However, Ms. Mulqueen - talking to OTB delegates last week - admitted that "in hindsight Tesco had made mistakes in removing certain organic fruit and vegetables from the shelves", Freshinfo.com reports. "So in October [2008], Tesco introduced a new buying team for fruit, salads and vegetables for organic. We also talked to the supply base and customers. Now we are nearly all the way back to how it was. We need to support the industry."
Today more than a quarter of the Tesco’s fresh produce customers buy organic, which equates to 3.6 million Clubcard holders.
Tesco's plan to relaunch organic foods will consider the range, price, quality of products: “We now have a top-10 list of organic fruit and vegetables that must be available in any one store, like blueberries, leeks and lemons, that are really important to the organic customer”, she added.
Furthermore, the approach will be specific for each particular store’s demographic and area: “It is about the right range in the right store and getting those customers back,” Ms. Mulqueen explained.
Focus will also be on communication and in-store promotional events.
from Green Planet
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