Are food retailers Grouponing brand value down drain of the information super highway?



Food retailers create direct relationships with the consumer. The goal is too yield a targeted, repeatable experience which will drive frequency of use while edifying brand value and driving top line sales. Groupon is about DISCOUNTING your product and your brand. Bundling your brand and or your product within a Groupon offer may be counter productive to your long term brand building objective.

The information super highway is a location most consumers frequent. Retail food brands must have a location that is easy for consumer to find. If location, location, location is a key ingredient in success. Then food retailers must be keenly aware of the location that they select even if it is an LTO (limited time offer).

Last month while speaking at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago on the rise of the Grocerant niche; I heard first hand stories of cash flow losses from retail operators selecting the wrong online niche marketing program. While Groupon has been testing and expanding into the supermarket arena I have not as yet hear any stories of retailers growing both the top line sales and bottom line profits long term on their platform in either the restaurant or grocery sector.

Don’t throw your brand down the drain of the information superhighway. Consumers are looking for brands and products with consumer relevance. Discounting simply discounts relevance.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven