The Challenge
A leading UK grocery retailer was facing a crisis of relevance. Trust had been badly damaged, discounters were redefining value, and shoppers were increasingly splitting their spending across multiple retailers. The data told a counterintuitive story: footfall wasn’t the problem. The business was winning the shopper – but losing the shop.
The Work
We reframed the strategic role of own label – from a defensive margin tool into a mechanism for winning complete shopping missions and a greater share of the basket. This meant dismantling the existing tier architecture and rebuilding it around how people actually shop. At the value end, we replaced the existing range with a curated set of dependable everyday products, positioned with confidence rather than compromise. The core tier was repositioned to close the gap between premium quality cues and accessible pricing. At the premium end, we narrowed the focus to food-led categories where investment would have the greatest impact.
The Impact
The strategic overhaul repositioned own label as a platform for rebuilding trust as much as driving growth – making choices simpler, quality more legible and propositions more distinct. The results were significant: profit grew 28% year-on-year, and the business delivered nine consecutive quarters of growth. Food sales rose 3%, driven in large part by improvements in fresh food and own-brand ranges.
