Over the past few years, Britain’s supermarket wars have become increasingly ugly, and Tesco has taken a pretty heavy bruising. More and more shoppers are turning away from the traditional ‘big four’ in favour of discount stores Lidl and Aldi, who have experienced 15.4% and 12.5% year-on-year growth respectively. The traditional heavyweights have had to respond, and Tesco’s answer is perhaps the most novel of all.
After a successful trial in Scotland last year, Tesco will begin offering apples, oranges and bananas completely free of charge to children across 800 stores nationwide. This giveaway will see up to one million pieces of fruit shared out every month, with the PR for the initiative heavily centred around the health-boosting benefits of the snacks. Tesco will also be hoping it gives a healthy kick to their financial performance, as the retailer looks to continue its recovery after a torrid 2015. With consumer polls suggesting 91% of shoppers are influenced by the way companies behave towards their customers and communities, an ethical, health-focused approach could well prove to be a recipe for success.
(Image credit: Annette Dubois)