Asda has announced three ‘revolutionary’ new initiatives aimed at making the business more transparent and giving customers more say in the way its supermarkets are run.
The first initiative, ‘Chosen By You’, will give 18,000 regular Asda shoppers access to products before they go on sale.
These shoppers will be able to test samples of new ranges to decide which products should appear in store, and will also have a say in product development and packaging .
The second initiative, ‘Your Asda’, will be based around a new online blog called ‘Aisle Spy’, which will allow consumers to monitor processing plants and the Asda head office during work hour on webcams .
Under the third scheme, called ‘Bright Ideas’, the supermarket will offer £100,000 to any shopper who comes up with an idea that saves the firm £2 million.
Asda’s chief executive Andy Bond said the three initiatives will go some way to rebuilding trust with consumers at a time when confidence in businesses and politicians is at an all-time low.
“Customers want to be informed,” he said. “They want to know how products are sourced and we want customers to know they can trust us.”
“From today there is no ‘behind the scenes’ at Asda . Our aim is to be a truly open, accessible and transparent business so that we can rebuild trust and drive customer loyalty.”
Mr Bond added that regaining consumers’ trust is a more effective way of securing their loyalty than the customer reward schemes offered by Asda’s major rivals, Tesco and Sainsburys .
