Waitrose is to launch its first value-focused TV ad campaign in years, in riposte to the rising stars of budget rivals Aldi and Lidl.
Last year the upmarket retailer was overtaken by Aldi as the sixth largest supermarket chain in the UK and suffered the worst fall in Christmas sales since 2006.
Now, Waitrose is going directly up against the German discounters with a focus on discount strategy. Traditionally, the John Lewis partnership-owned grocer had revolved advertising around brand campaigns.
The TV campaign focuses on Waitrose‘s “Pick Your Own Offers” deal, the game-changing initiative launched last year which allows customers to select their favourite 10 products from a list of 1,000 and receive a 20% discount on every time they shop. A million customers have signed up to the scheme since it was introduced.
“The idea of saving regularly really appeals to shoppers, with many choosing items that they usually buy every week to generate ongoing savings,” Waitrose Marketing Director Rupert Thomas told The Guardian. “Along with Brand Price Match and our other promotions, Pick Your Own Offers shows we offer exceptional value for great quality products.”
The campaign is due to break on ITV1 during the National Television awards on Wednesday.
