Due to increasing consumer awareness over the quality of food products they consume and their effects on consumer’s health, the Publix GreenWise stocks products that have been grown naturally through environmentally friendly techniques. This is done with the aim of meeting the increasing customer demand as well as providing a wider range of products from which they can choose from (Berman & Evans, 2001). The supermarket offers high quality customer care services through excellent quality products at affordable prices. These food products are sold under no influence of GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) since through the government policies, crops grown for human consumption must be without the use of hormones or other artificial agro-chemicals (Baourakis, 2004).
Publix GreenWise has various merchandising categories designed to meet different consumers in the market. The first category consists of natural foods. This category includes food products that have undergone least processing and do not contain any food additive or preservative hence mostly consumed by the majority of the consumers as they cause no threat to their lives. The second category comprises organically earth-friendly food products which are processed based on the principle of reduced agrarian impact on arable portion of the earth to provide the growing human populations with continuous food supply at environmental friendly atmosphere(Andersen, 1996)). This category includes cold-pressed oils extracted from cold water fish and even from some seeds. The third category consists of purely organic food products that are obtained under strict United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines mostly consisting of dairy and poultry products targeting customers who depend on meat as a major food (Wright& McCrea,2007)
The main brands of the Publix GreenWise supermarket are meat and deli operations. The meat department within the stores has unlimited range of products and materials enough to satisfy consumer needs. Fresh meat is refrigerated and displayed with private label such as Publix, Publix Premium, Publix All-natural and even Publix Advantage in their packages at lower prices to attract more consumers. On the other hand, the deli products consist of unique items produced to cater for a wide variety of customer needs (Canavari & Olson, 2007). These include 51 types of Boar’s Head meats and additional selections such as Pastrami, Pepper Loaf and Pickles targeting mainly tourists and residents during winter especially in Kissimmee location. The supermarket outlets also offer about twenty types of Publix branded deli meats such as Kerry Gold, Land O’Lakes or Boar’s Head branded cheese (Baourakis, 2004). These products bear safety stickers showing the specified temperature at which food should be cooked, usually 160 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid over or under cooking.
To meet the market demands, these products are of premium quality thus ensuring that the nutritional contents remain consistent so as to attract more customers as well as retaining the existing ones. The supermarket also maintains clean and attractive stores to guarantee customers of attractive serving environment. In addition, the supermarket stocks a wide range of products under one roof, thus making the shopping activities faster and unique from the traditional one where customers were to move to different shops to get served resulting to time wastage. For instance, in Florida, where the majority of the population is ageing, the supermarket outlet stocks food that is premium and convenient to cook by these elderly residents (Roseboro, 2007). Similarly, on the Atlantic coast where most inhabitants are Jewish, the Green Wise outlets stock kosher products to maintain customer loyalty.
To survive the stringent competition from other retailers, GreenWise supermarket positions itself above its competitors by emphasizing on premium products, convenience proteins and freshness (Neal & Quester, 2006). This is achieved by its ever-growing number of branches across the United States such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina among others. This ensures that the supermarket captures a wider market base as evident by its dominance in the Southeastern part of the U.S.A, its ranking at the 7th position nationally as well as its annual sales of about $ 2.06 billion (Shimp, 2008). Moreover, unlike other retailers the GreenWise outlets primarily sell private-label (branded) items that make their products easily recognized in the market by their customers thus sustaining their clientele loyalty. Also, the supermarket chain tailor-make their products to meet specific need for their customers in every location as evident in the deli and meat departments where large packages can be broken and sold in smaller portions. Due to factors such as private branding, specific group targeting and even low pricing GreenWise customers find it easy to differentiate the products from other competitors hence enabling the supermarket to stay top in the market.
In conclusion, meeting customer satisfaction and provision of high quality products and excellent services are the most fundamental marketing strategies in business today. This is occasioned by increasing customer knowledge on the products in the market and the underlying health concerns such as the number of cancer cases which are increasing day by day. According to Lamb, (2008) sound marketing strategy puts a business organization on a higher position against the competitors through the provision of tailor-made services that are unique but at no additional marginal costs. This forms the basis of the GreenWise distinctiveness, novelty and attributes as opposed to other retailers.
Reference List
Andersen, A. (1996). Small store survival: success strategies for retailers. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Baourakis, G. (2004). Marketing trends for organic food in the 21st century. Oxford: World Scientific.
Berman, B. & Evans, R. (2001). Retail management: a strategic approach. Los Angeles: Prentice Hall.
Canavari, M. & Olson, K. (2007). Organic food: consumers’ choices and farmers’ opportunities. Chicago: Springer.
Lamb, C. (2008). Essentials of Marketing. Stamford: Cengage Learning.
Neal, C. & Quester, P. (2006). Consumer behaviour: implications for marketing strategy. Melbourne: McGraw-Hill Australia.
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Roseboro, K. (2007).The organic food handbook: a consumer’s guide to buying and eating organic food Basic. New York: Health Publications, Inc.
Shimp, T., A. (2008). Advertising, Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications. Stamford: Cengage Learning.
Wright, S. & McCrea, D. (2007).The handbook of organic and fair trade food marketing. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell.