The grandiosa campaigns: – Rations: – In the best sense

On Monday this week, Coop Extra reduced the price of a number of Grandiosa varieties by 30 per cent. Previous campaigns gave a new price for the original at just over NOK 20, and it didn’t take long before the other low-price chains followed suit.

According to communications director Harald Kristiansen, Extra should have filled up the warehouse with pizza ahead of the campaign, but DinSide’s journalists have observed empty shelves at both Rema 1000 and Kiwi in central Oslo on Tuesday afternoon and evening.

At Kiwi in Løren there were notices about rationing on the folk pizza on Tuesday afternoon, which limits the number customers can buy. It doesn’t really matter, because they’re out of classic Grandiosa, but a new supply should be on its way today.

– It has been done in the best sense, because they saw that they were about to run out, and for the sake of the customers they then chose to set a limit. But in general we don’t want to set restrictions, says Nora Mile Helgesen, communications manager at Kiwi, to DinSide.

Taste test: Grandiosa Heart Pizza

She says that most stores receive frozen goods two or three times a week, and that the stores will replenish the frozen counter as soon as they receive more goods.

– While we have, among other things, a long-term campaign on salmon, spinach, salad and wholemeal bread, a competitor has a short-term weekly offer on Grandiosa. We have promised the customers that we will always be the cheapest of the low-price chains, and then we reduce the price by the same amount or more in the same period.

– No effect

According to Trond Blindheim, marketing expert and lecturer at Kristiania University College, this is a classic lure to get customers to the store.

– But when the other discount stores follow so quickly, it has no effect at all, says Blindheim to DinSide.

He still believes that it can have an effect for the discount stores as a group.

– All the discount stores are competing for the public’s favor, and it may well happen that people who had no intention of shopping today will still go to fill up the freezer with Grandiosa, and then they will probably buy something else in addition.

Rationing is a means of ensuring that customers do not empty the store, so that others do not turn around and go to another store, because what they came for was sold out.

– Although we are of course concerned with attracting new customers, this is at least as much about giving our existing customers the cheapest shopping basket, says Harald Kristiansen, director of communications at Coop, to DinSide.

He points out that the very low price of Grandiosa is connected to the fact that they give a percentage discount, which is calculated based on the lowest price in the last 30 days, and that it has not been long since the last time Grandiosa was on sale.

– Such offers are not only important for the individual consumer, but something that Statistics Norway has pointed to several times this year as important contributors to subdued inflation.

Price is most important

Blindheim also shows that we are not necessarily being deceived, but that it is smart to buy a lot of a reasonable item.

– Think about the students, everyone has little money. It is clear that they will go by price.

It does not only apply to the students. Blindheim points out that price is clearly the most important parameter when Norwegians decide where and what to shop.

– Price is most important, you can put it up three times on the list, followed by parking outside the store. Selection comes way down the list.

– There is only one word that is better than offer, and that is free.