Tesco wants to convert shoppers to own-brand with ‘try before you buy’ scheme
Tesco is using the ‘try before you buy’ tactic to convert customers to own-brand as it sheds branded goods from shelves to drive lower prices and better margins.
‘Try before you buy’ is being trialled at six of Tesco’s stores and is only available on 'food to go' items, excluding alcohol.
It is set to be promoted heavily in-store, predominantly through point of sale marketing.
It comes as part of a wider drive to lower prices and stay competitive with the likes of Aldi and Lidl, which have both heavily eroded Tesco’s share of the grocery market.
Tesco announced earlier this year that it would reduce the number of products on its shelves by a third.
Bread brand Kingsmill and Welsh yoghurt maker Rachael’s Organic were among the first to be delisted as Tesco pushed its own-brand alternatives while more recently it has axed Capri-Sun and Ribena’s added-sugar products, although claimed the decision was to help combat rising obesity rates.
By focusing on its own-brand range, Tesco is able to better manage pricing and control margins than it can from negotiating with suppliers.
A spokesperson added that Tesco “wants to make it easier for customers to purchase [own-brand goods] with confidence” with the ‘try before you buy’ scheme.
"We’ll be listening to customer feedback throughout the trial,” they said.