The other day I wondered about Dell’s mixed marketing message. Now it’s Wal-Mart’s turn.
Traditionally the low price leader, Wal-Mart has been trying to swim upstream — I mean, move upscale. They want to hold on to their marketing base while attracting upscale consumers shopping for higher-quality goods.
But a confidential report based on interviews with scores of consumers concludes that being the cheapest store in town — gasp! — somehow conflicts with what upscale consumers are looking for. The chain’s low prices suggest they sell low quality goods, which turns off upscale consumers.
… (T)he report says the chain “is not seen as a smart choice” for clothing, home décor, electronics, prescriptions and groceries, categories the retailer has identified as priorities as it tries to turn around its slipping store sales, a decline likely to be emphasized Friday during Wal-Mart’s shareholder meeting. via NY Times
“The Wal-Mart brand,” says the report, “was not built to inspire people while they shop, hold their hand while they make a high-risk decision or show them how to pull things together.”
On the other hand, Target, with its designer-inspired clothing and furniture, is perceived as the ‘new and improved,’ while Wal-Mart often feels like the ‘old and outdated.’