Marketing Dividends presented by AANA’s fourth show airs this week on SKY NEWS BUSINESS, Australia’s only 24-hour dedicated business channel. This week the show welcomes Madeleine Fitzpatrick, Metcash GM of Marketing at independent supermarket network, Independent Grocers of Australia (IGA), to discuss the challenges of operating in such a highly competitive sector.
Fitzpatrick discusses how IGA goes about creating a sustainable future for independent businesses in Australia against a highly competitive supermarket landscape with new entrants rumoured to be coming to Australia shores and how providing local retailers with store level insight and data that allows them to truly localise is making a real difference.
“We are two years into our transformation plan, and as an independent network supporting independent retailers our focus is to create a sustainable future for independent businesses in Australia. Our best performing stores are outperforming their competition not just because they have competitive offers and a good quality range, but because they have a tailored offer and partner with the local community in a way that is far more difficult for an owned-entity to do. This is a key differentiator for IGA.” Fitzpatrick said.
Because IGA is a network of independent retailers, it means marketing must be completely on top of their game. “It makes you far more accountable as a marketer, as every initiative we put forward will come under scrutiny. We have to be really buttoned down with our data and insights, but it’s also crucial that we understand the P&L, operations and running of a store.”
Fitzpatrick also believes ‘purpose’ is critical. “It comes back to IGA’s purpose, which is to put the heart and soul back into grocery shopping – we feel that grocery shopping is a fairly soulless experience in Australia. But when you combine competitive prices, through IGA’s Price Match promise, a great quality range, along with a tailored store offer and a local store owner who is passionate about serving their customers and community, that’s a more enjoyable shopping experience,” Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick discusses working in a challenger brand space, saying, “It gives you a bit more freedom to be brave – you have more to gain and less to lose. Working for a challenger brand allows real issues and opportunities to be addressed because there is no bureaucracy driving protection of market position.”
The current episode is part of a series of 10 intended to profile the broadening remit of marketers as drivers of business growth.
This episode features throughout this week on SKY NEWS BUSINESS. It is jointly hosted by James Hier, CEO MEC and Nadine Blayney, Deputy Business Editor at SKY NEWS BUSINESS. The full episode, in addition to previous episodes, is available featured on the AANA YouTube Channel.
