My experience with the Wal-Mart brand has been hands-on, for two years. It's expanded from just shopping in that store which is conveniently located in my transitional neighborhood for odds and ends to using it to replace going to the traditional supermarket. The Wal-Mart Food SuperCenter has untouchable bargains. For example, lettuce that is freshly bouncy is $1.44 versus $2.28 in Big Y.
By strategy or by accident, the Wal-Mart branding seems to communicate, well, nothing. The retail establishment simply is what it is. The so-called experience consists of shopping for and getting bargains. For that we don't complain about items not on the shelves, long slow-moving lines, or cluttered aisles with harsh lighting.
Will the traditional bells and whistles which marketers insist must be part of the brand identity fall victim to a global downturn? Could be. My little writing and coaching boutique is thriving on its simply being another one of those it is what it is. There's a service delivered at an affordable price. No smoke and mirrors. End of story. I hear that old-line brands are choking on those bells and whistles as clients and customers demand value - and, by the way, hold the shopping "experience."
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