01 Differentiation purpose
Get rid of price competition and provide customers with better products and life proposals. Under buyer’s market conditions, retailers are facing fiercer competition. How to achieve product differentiation, meet customer needs, obtain customer recognition, and thereby obtain sales growth, is a question that fresh food operators must think about every day.
02The differentiation of fresh products is reflected in 3 aspects
1. Differentiation of taste–seeking improvement of taste
2. Differentiation of freshness-seeking fresher products
3. Price differentiation — Seeking lower costs
03 Means to develop differentiated fresh products
1. Team development method
Set up a professional product research and development team, through the analysis of the market, research and development of unique products that meet the needs of the market, and improve the taste and freshness of the products. The first step is to analyze the data and the market, the second step is to form a new product team, and the third step is to determine the development direction and development schedule.
Take bread team development as an example: customers are increasingly pursuing health. Whole grain bread should be on the rise. Why is it declining in some supermarkets? Answer: It tastes bad. Establish a team of all suppliers related to buckwheat bread (flour supplier, yeast supplier, egg supplier, miscellaneous grain supplier, sugar supplier, dried fruit supplier, packaging material supplier, logistics, etc.), exchange market information, and formulate The new product development plan will eventually develop buckwheat bread that tastes better than others.
2. Risk development method
Purchasing differentiated products by buying out non-returning products and passing the risk to oneself, realizing information sharing with manufacturers, and developing high-quality, low-cost, and competitive PB products.
Take designated breeding-mountain forest free-range chicken as an example: share information with the base, breed designated species and the specified breeding age according to Ito Yokado’s requirements, determine the number of breeding in accordance with Ito’s sales plan, and then sign a buyout agreement Due to the variety advantages and strict breeding age, the overall quality and freshness are ensured, and sales have grown rapidly.
3. Development methods in-depth production area
Directly and in-depth cooperation with the production area to improve the entire process from seed to planting to transportation, enhance the taste and freshness, and differentiate from other products.
Take the development of Xinjiang cantaloupe production area as an example. In the past, Hami melons were purchased from the Xinjiang wholesale market. They were either the products of small local farmers or the defective products of large-scale bases. There were four main problems:
1) There are often raw melons or overripe melons, and the freshness is extremely unstable, which directly affects the increase in taste and loss;
2) The sugar content is between 12-14 degrees, and the taste is very unstable;
3) Basically they are varieties with large yield and unstable taste, such as Golden Queen;
4) Due to restrictions on taste and planting area, from the end of June to the end of September, there is only a three-month sales period.
There are two reasons for this. On the one hand, the planting concept is relatively backward, and the pursuit of yield is excessive instead of quality. On the other hand, it is market-oriented. Farmers are unwilling to take high risks to plant high-cost and low-yield commodities. Money will lose money.
To solve the above problems, set goals:
1. Buy-out purchases, farmers plant in accordance with Ito’s requirements, and Ito exclusively sells them.
2. The sugar content is 3 degrees higher than that of ordinary cantaloupe, reaching 15 degrees or more.
3. Picked when mature.
4. Air freight, 24 hours from picking to sale.
5. Extend the sales period of 3 months from June to December.
The first step of the implementation process is to select suppliers, based on having its own planting base, using the form of company + farmer to guide fruit growers to cultivate and manage high-quality melons and fruits; the second step is to choose 8 different latitudes from north to south Base, 8 bases will be on the market one after another 12 days apart. The sales time can be from the end of June to the end of December, which is 3 months longer than before. The third step is to select 5 high-quality varieties, each with its own characteristics. The color distinguishes the flesh of red, yellow, green, and white, and the taste distinguishes soft, crisp, and hard, which can satisfy more customers’ preferences. In addition, each variety is listed with each other for about 10 days, which guarantees any time There are more than 2 varieties sold to avoid out of stock; the fourth step is to change the planting method, such as not using chemical fertilizers after raising the seedlings, only using organic fertilizers, try not to water the seedlings, water less in the later stage, and only keep one melon vine A melon, etc.; the fifth step is to pick at 9 mature times to ensure that the growth period of each melon is more than 100 days, and at the same time change the way of transportation in the past 4-5 days by air transportation to ensure the freshness and taste; the sixth step For a variety of sales methods, at the beginning of the market, 10% tastings were provided to win customers, large-scale display, 1/2, 1/4, peeled cantaloupes were sold at the same time, and sales staff wore national costumes to promote sales.
In the end, both sales and gross profit have been greatly improved, sales increased by 3.6 times year-on-year, and gross profit increased by 4 times year-on-year.
04 experience, early development
Only by purchasing the products that are already on the market, homogenization will occur immediately, and customers will not be moved. Only by developing products that move customers faster than customers, and developing differentiated products, can we win the trust and love of customers.
Post time: Dec-29-2021
