Business and Economics Coursework
Survey to 10 people to see which supermarket they believe is best
PLEASE SPECIFY YOUR ANSWERS BY TICKING THE APPROPRIATE BOX FOR EACH QUESTION AND WRITING IN AN ALTERNATIVE ANSWER IF NEEDED IN THE SPACE PROVIDED
(These results were taken from a poll of 10 people)
- What gender are you?
- Male
- Female
- Which age group do you fit into?
- Under 26
- 26 - 35
- 36 – 45
- 46 – 55
- Over 55
- Which of these supermarkets do you prefer to shop at?
- ASDA
- Waitrose
- Which supermarket do you think is cheaper?
- ASDA
- Waitrose
- Which supermarket do you think has better quality products?
- ASDA
- Waitrose
- Which supermarket do you think has a better product range?
- ASDA
- Waitrose
- Which supermarket do you think has better facilities?
- ASDA
- Waitrose
- Which supermarket is nearest to where you live?
- ASDA
- Waitrose
- Which supermarket do you think provides the best home delivery service?
- ASDA
- Waitrose(Ocado)
- Which supermarket do you think carry out their promotions and advertisements best?
- ASDA
- Waitrose
- Which supermarket do you think provides a better service?
- ASDA
- Waitrose
These results have many implications; the most interesting is that the majority of people prefer to shop at ASDA, even though they think Waitrose has better quality goods and a better service. It illustrates how most people choose cheaper goods and a vast product range over a superior quality of product and service.
Product
Product range is the variety of different products an organisation sells. It is what a business must think about thoroughly before they start up and will account for a lot in the future, as customers will then begin to realise the advantages of having a large variety of goods. Product range is especially important for businesses such as supermarkets because the whole aim of a supermarket is to provide a wide variety of products in one place.
ASDA has a vast product range including electronics, clothes, books, cards, stationary, toys, toiletries, household items, jewellery, baby products, pet products, organic foods, ethnic foods, beers, wines, spirits and flowers on top of the usual groceries you would expect to find in a supermarket. Waitrose’s product range consists of organic foods, ethnic foods, toiletries, baby products, pet products, household items, books, beers, wines, spirits and flowers.
It is apparent that ASDA has a better product range. They have widened their variety to not only groceries and other things you would expect to find in a supermarket; but to electronics, clothes, jewellery and household items. Waitrose on the other hand, does not contain any of these and concentrates more on the food and drink they sell, whereas ASDA concentrate more on variety.
Both ASDA and Waitrose have an own brand range. The advantages of having an own brand range is that by doing this, the supermarket do not have to pay another company for the making of the product, meaning they get 100% of the profits. The disadvantages of having an own brand is that the company have to spend the time and effort making this product when it would be much easier to just buy in stock.
Product differentiation is what supermarkets and businesses everywhere use to help the consumers distinguish their products. ASDA like many other supermarkets use logos, slogans, brands and colours to ensure customers know that it is an ASDA branch. For example their logo (as shown below) with the large bright green font in capital letters displaying “ASDA” and their slogan “That’s ASDA price” or “More For You For Less”. This method helps customers largely to find and differentiate between other supermarkets, either when they hear or see these slogans or logos.
