Page 11 - Sphere No.14 (Jul 2005)

S THE FIRST STORE in Festival
Walk shows, TASTE is
pioneering a new concept
of lifestyle shopping. Its “More than
Food” experience adds the extra
ingredient of fun to the grocery
shopping routine.
The starting point for TASTE was
A.S. Watson’s recognition that
Hong Kong consumers are increas-
ingly demanding and cosmopolitan.
All customer segments, from
budget to affluent, are looking for more – more choice,
more quality, more value and above all more excitement.
So A.S. Watson looked at upscale supermarket concepts
around the world and combined the results of this
research with its own deep knowledge of Hong Kong
consumers. The result was TASTE – a unique blend of
product, environment and service.
It tastes so good
An irresistible product range was
vital. TASTE offers a cosmopolitan
selection of over 25,000 quality
food items from around the
world. The choice is huge – from
live fish and market-style fruit
and vegetables, through siu mei
and lo mei to sushi and sashimi.
And almost everything else in
between. Shoppers can savour the aroma of freshly
baked bread in the open bakery, select mouth-water-
ing cold cuts and cheeses from the deli or enjoy light
meals at the Sandwich and Gourmet Food Bar.
There’s more. It’s easy to entertain with TASTE:
there is a delicious selection of freshly made quality
meals to take home. And TASTE offers one of the
most extensive ranges of organic food in Hong Kong.
Style and service
But product alone wasn’t
enough to make TASTE
unique. A.S. Watson was
determined to create a shop where
customers enjoyed spending time – a
warm, inviting environment that makes
shopping an experience not a chore. The
choice of designer was key. A.S. Watson
selected a design firm experienced in
creating an inviting ambience for upscale
restaurants, not the sterile, utilitarian
feel of many traditional supermarkets.
It’s worked. With wide,
uncrowded aisles under the
signature orange ceiling, TASTE
has created an atmosphere that
even the most demanding
shoppers find irresistible.
To complete the mix, TASTE
developed a comprehensive
learning programme, sending
many staff to A.S. Watson’s
flagship GREAT store for on
the job training. The highest
standards of service can be
taken for granted by TASTE
customers.
The taste of things to come
Consumers have given a big thumbs-up
to TASTE. Sales have consistently
exceeded forecasts, with 25% of the
increase coming from higher customer
numbers and 75% from higher than
average basket spend. TASTE’s attrac-
tive environment is encouraging
shoppers to sample many of the
tempting products on offer.
So successful is the new concept
that A.S. Watson is already planning
the rollout of up to 10 more TASTE
stores over the next 18 months. Soon
you’ll be able to shop with TASTE all
over the city – thanks to A.S.
Watson’s talent for knowing what
the market wants.
S PHERE 9
Shopping with
Taste
With its TASTE brand, A.S. Watson has again defined a key market segment
More than food: the
irresistible product
range and inviting
ambience at Taste
A
Newtrends