Ritchies Goes Gourmet to Keep Discounters at Bay
Australia’s biggest independent supermarket chain has gone gourmet in the battle to grow sales and boost margins as it stares down a resurgent Woolworths, the expansionist discount supermarket sector and the pressure of price deflation.
It’s a strategy that’s paying big dividends, according to Ritchies IGA chief Fred Harrison, who has sunk more than $5 million into a new up-market store format that showcases artisan bread, hand-rolled sushi, dry-aged beef and even bespoke peanut butter.
Less than a week after the opening of its first new concept store in the seaside town of Dromana, south of Melbourne, Mr Harrison said sales were up 50 per cent on the same time last year as customers warmed to the up-market selection of cheese, bread, meat and ready-to-eat meals. Sydney Morning Herald – Read more…
It’s a strategy that’s paying big dividends, according to Ritchies IGA chief Fred Harrison, who has sunk more than $5 million into a new up-market store format that showcases artisan bread, hand-rolled sushi, dry-aged beef and even bespoke peanut butter.
Less than a week after the opening of its first new concept store in the seaside town of Dromana, south of Melbourne, Mr Harrison said sales were up 50 per cent on the same time last year as customers warmed to the up-market selection of cheese, bread, meat and ready-to-eat meals. Sydney Morning Herald – Read more…
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