Wegmans Marketing Approach for Frederick
Wegmans is a very popular grocery store chain. It is actually more than a grocery store, but I’ve yet to experience how good Wegmans really is based on folks around me. Wegmans is known for being one of the best food stores in Northern Virginia. I’ve heard nothing but raving reviews about it. If you are familiar with Whole Foods, Wegmans can be labeled as a mixture of Whole Foods for quality food products and Nordstrom for customer care. I also hear that their prices are reasonable too! I finally get a chance in June to see Wegmans in action. They are opening a store in Frederick Maryland, about 20 mins from my home.
I’ll have more to report on this fine grocery story once I visit, but in the mean time, a few thoughts on what I know. First, it is amazing to see how Wegmans has dived into Social Media and made their website interactive and useful to their audience. They are engaging with new, existing and soon to be customers. Wegmans isn’t as big as CVS or Safeway, but it is popular and growing. By engaging in Social Media, they are planting seeds for when they open up a new location. People eagerly await not only the new stores but all the marketing pieces they receive from them. They’ve gotten the permission of their propsects because of their excellent reputation. Folks, this is a food place. They sell food! They prepare food. They serve food! Yet they’ve made the experience something to remember.
So takeaway #1 for service businesses, No matter what business you are in, make your customer experience the best it can be.
Wegmans not only has excellent customer care, they have employees who love their jobs. When employees love their job, the customer experience will be amazing. When employees hate their job…well…I don’t have to explain what that experience is like. Takeaway #2, to build a quality business, spend as much time nurturing, encouraging and rewarding your employees as you do your customers.
Finally, Wegman’s marketing is awesome. They are coming to one of the biggest cities in Maryland, Frederick, yet they are making the marketing personal. How are they doing it? They are using their store manager, Phil, to start things off. They mailed out an attractive flyer to the surrounding communities in Frederick County. The mailer was telling homeowners when the Frederick store would open, what to expect and was all written by the store manager (at least we are to believe it was from him). Then on the local radio stations, Phil, had the spotlight, encouraging people to come to Wegmans on June 5th and he and his staff will be there to serve them. Their tagline is simple, “food shopping will never be the same.” Doesn’t that trigger you to want to take a peak in a Wegman’s store? Takeaway #3, Make your marketing unique, consistent and targeted. Finally, the timing of your marketing is key. Wegman’s hit the radio, Internet and the mailbox all at the same time.
What’s your experience with Wegmans? I’m all ears and would love to hear about it. Leave a comment below or shoot me an email. I’ll report back after June 5th on my other takeaways.