The word “local” has largely lost its value as a point of difference as a result of being over-used, according to Mike Taylor of Musgrave Budgens Londis.
The fact that a number of convenience store chains have used local as an integral part of their slogans has led to it becoming “dispersed” and “diluted”, he said at last week’s ACS conference. And this is diffusing the ability of convenience stores, that by their very nature are local, to use this as a competitive tool against supermarket chains. “It is not enough to just bury it away, you have to execute it effectively at macro level,” said Taylor, “and say this is local produce and we’re proud of it.”
He said the term local can be split into several component parts:
• local product gone large - a product that has gained national and international recognition, but retained its resonance in the local community
• local product stayed local - either because there is a lack of will or capability to expand outside an immediate catchment area
• extreme local - a product that has become so embedded in the community, it has assumed an extra dimension
• regional or national local - products whose “personality” is grounded in a particular location, which may be a long way from where it is being sold.
All have their own integrity and should be used accordingly. “Great regional will always beat average local,” said Taylor, pictured. “Just because something comes from round the corner, it does not have the right to succeed.
“Quality products that support the local community create a real reason to be famous. We actively encourage our retailers to source local produce because we believe it strengthens and gives life to our offer, and makes us defensible and resilient in the future. It can be a real differentiator against the power of the multiples,” he said.
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