Fresh
Special Edition
September 2009
From me... ...to you
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’ve got big news to announce! After an enormous amount of customer research, analysis and strategic planning, I am pleased and proud to announce that we are moving to one brand… … new generation Countdown! And isn’t the new logo on the storefront below “fantastically fresh”! We’ll make this change to one brand in a measured, strategic manner over the coming five years. Ensuring that our staff come along on this journey is critical to our success. It’s absolutely correct that “we’re changing
and YOU can make a difference” by being an energetic part of this change. Why Countdown? We have had enormous success with our new generation Countdowns. Customers love the huge Fresh Department, the wide open design, the incredible range of up to 30,000 lines and Countdown pricing. We’re absolutely committed to helping customers shop smarter. Countdown is foundational to that promise. This special edition of Fresh Bites has been created to keep you in touch – so that each of our team members can see and touch what our future looks like. I’ve told you before that this was going to be a cracker of a year, as we continue to move from strength to strength!
Moving to One Brand - new generation Countdown! Right for the Time and the Future!
Countdown Ashburton - How it will look with the new branding
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uccess in the coming years will go to companies that help their customers shop smarter – giving them greater value, which is a balance of range, quality, price and shopping experience. “And for us, that means giving them new generation Countdowns,” says Peter Smith, Managing Director. “By uniting our three New Zealand brands under the Countdown brand, and with our new ‘fresh’ logo, our brand is ideal for today and even better for tomorrow. This strategic change and our commitment to invest up to $1 billion in New Zealand over the next five years are testament to our commitment to give customers world-class supermarkets right throughout New Zealand.” For over 18 months, Progressive has been quietly upgrading the inside of many stores to new
generation layouts (called “2010” in Australia), but the stores have continued to be branded Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown. Adds Dave Chambers, General Manager, Supermarket Operations: “The outside of the stores will now start to catch up with the improvements we’ve made on the inside. So in all new stores and major refurbishments, the ‘outside’ will feature the name Countdown and the new logo. But we have to be flexible with the actual shop-front design to meet various Council requirements. And we’ll need to be creative to deliver new generation Countdown benefits in smaller stores.” “I am proud of all three brands. But moving to one brand – Countdown – makes perfect sense. It simplifies all our lives and our offer. And it will help customers shop smarter for decades to come,” says Dave.
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Attractive on the Outside
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Fresh
Special Edition
and Stunning on the Inside!
Interior shots from Countdown The Valley in New Plymouth
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Four different looks, all new generation Countdowns . . . from top left page 2
Countdown Newtown - This new generation Countdown is scheduled to open next year on a very prominent site on Adelaide Road in Wellington, hence the “flagship” exterior treatment. Stunning!
Countdown Pukekohe - The fresh new logo is ideal for an agricultural area that has provided fruit and veges to kiwis for a century. The logo imagery speaks to “new growth and a new beginning” – perfect for our business, and it works well for Woolworths in Australia, too.
Countdown Milford - Refurbished and soon to be rebranded. Countdown Green Lane - How it will look with the new branding.
Staff Quotes on Refurbishments Alison Dinsdale, Grocery Senior, Countdown Rangitikei (Palmerston North). “We were proud to work in a Woolworths store, but converting to a new generation Countdown has been brilliant. Our team and customers really love it. But in some ways, ‘it’s what’s inside that counts’, and our job is to deliver the best customer experience we can, regardless of the name over the door. Rebranding our store was a major for many months – we basically ‘flipped’ it and added about 1,000 square metres. If I had any advice to give my colleagues it would be this - as long as you keep a smile on your face during the process, and do your best to help customers find what they want every day, it’s all good. And the end result – a new generation Countdown - is just fantastic!”
Kylie Richardson, Service and Admin Manager, Countdown Greenlane (Auckland) “I was with Foodtown for 17 years, and I do love it. It took me a little while to get used to this change. It’s now a year since we changed, and I can say I really love the atmosphere and the look on the inside. We still have some customers who say they miss Foodtown, but I feel that most customers are like me – they like shopping here because it’s such a lovely store. If a customer is grumpy, I just smile and say ‘give us a chance – you will love Countdown.”
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Fresh
Special Edition
New generation Countdowns what customers are saying about them!
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“The new Countdown (replacing the Woolies) is fresh and new. It reminds me of supermarkets I visited in Italy a number of years back.”
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“The aisles are nice and wide, fully stocked, and easy to find what you are looking for. The range of fresh fruit and vegetables, bakery items, fresh meat, etc is far better than before. The service from staff is very good too.”
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“The specials are a huge perk. My other reason for using Countdown is because they offer Onecard points and rewards. Because I spend so much on groceries, the rewards are a real bonus.”
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“I like the layout and the fact that the store is very well stocked. There also seems to be a lot of specials. So to this change, I think it has been a good one.”
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“We really enjoy our weekly trips to our Countdown. We find that overall, in shopping for specials, we get a better deal for our money here.”
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“I really was impressed with the way they stayed open throughout MAJOR renovations!!! Shifting stock must have been a nightmare, but staff were helpful and positive! Changes are great, so there is nothing I miss.”
Countdown Milford on Auckland’s North Shore
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The 'science ’ of store conversions
onverting a Woolworths or Foodtown to a new generation Countdown is a major task, but our internal and external teams are getting it down to a science. In general, a major conversion process can take
from 6-12 months and challenge the loyalty of our customers. “A smile goes such a long way! If staff are positive and knowledgeable, it’s an enormous help to customers,” says Dave Chambers.
Q&A for staff Q: What exactly are we doing and why? A: We’re uniting all three of our brands under the Countdown brand over the next five years to ensure we give customers the best value, range and shopping experience possible. This is foundational to our shop smarter promise. Q: Why didn’t we unite under the Woolworths brand, like in Australia? A: Some people thought we might. But we’re a kiwi company, and an enormous amount or research shows that Countdown is right for the times. Q: Are we getting rid of the name Woolworths? A: Not at all! While we are uniting our brands under the Countdown brand, the Woolworths name is a mainstay on many of our Private Label products. And WQA (Woolworths Quality Assurance) is critical to our quality promise. The name Woolworths is a huge part of our future and our past. Q: What does this change actually mean for those of us who work in Woolworths and Foodtown stores? A: Our company is going from strength to strength, which offers a brilliant range of career opportunities for our 18,700 staff. It will be business as usual in Woolworths and Foodtown stores until their conversions! Staff will be informed well before each conversion begins. Q: What does this mean for those of us who work in older Countdown stores?
A: Business as usual until the conversion. Q: Will Marketing support all three brands? A: We’ll absolutely continue to support Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown brands! Q: Why was the decision taken to do the conversions over a five year period? A: This is the most cost-effective way to manage such a major change. Q: Are there plans to close any of our stores, especially when they are very close together? A: No. We are in the business of opening stores, not closing them. There are no plans to close any stores because of the brand change. Q: If we work in a Foodtown or Woolworths store, will we need to change uniforms? A: Not until rebranding is completed, and staff will be notified well in advance. Q: What do we tell customers if they ask about the change – either because they think it’s a great idea or they don’t want to lose “their” brand? A: Tell them the truth! We are absolutely certain that Countdown is ideal for smart shoppers now and into the future. Encourage them to visit a new generation Countdown or view photos of them on our website www.progressive.co.nz Q: When will my store be refurbished or rebranded? A: Future store conversions will be announced as soon as possible!