Sainbury's - Episode Two - The Coffee Gets Vertigo

You may remember how I wrote to Sainsbury’s a couple of weeks ago, about the fact that – whilst insisting that they are promoting Fair Trade goods - they position their Fair Trade coffee really high up, so it’s very hard to find.

Here’s my original letter:

Since the store was refurbished I have seen many notices urging me to buy Fair Trade products. These notices are, for example, very prominent in the café.

All well and good: but why, I wonder therefore, is the Fair Trade coffee not sited on the shelves where it may be easily seen? I am 5’4” tall – not very tall, granted, but not very short either - and it is all way above my eye level.

Surely if Sainsbury’s were really committed to the sale of Fair Trade products, these products would be placed in the most prominent position on the shelves? Is it that the big coffee manufactures, such as Nescafe, insist that their products take pride of place? Or could it be that Sainsbury’s supposed commitment to Fair Trade products is just tokenism?

If you are really committed to increasing the sales of Fair Trade goods – and you should be, and you keep saying you are – then surely putting them in the best position is the least you can do?

I’d be really grateful if you could get back to me on this.

Best wishes (etc)

Here is their reply:

Thank you for your letter.

Sainsbury’s is committed to stocking and selling Fair Trade goods and is very aware of the importance of this.

We also endeavour to provide our customers with the most diverse and extensive range of products we possibly can and I am very sorry that on occasion, you are unable to reach some of the items you require. I would ask you, in future, to please ask a member of staff who will be only too pleased to assist you in obtaining any products you may need.

Whilst writing, may I take this opportunity to thank you for shopping at Sainsbury’s.

Yours sincerely

Nigel Porter
Store Manager

Hey ho, I’m beginning to realise that sorting the world out may take longer than I had hoped. Talk about wilful misunderstanding! Clearly at Sainsbury’s Store Manager School they go to advanced classes in Sidestepping the Issue.

Let’s have another go, shall we?

Dear Mr Porter

Thank you for your letter in reply to my letter of March 8th.

The issue was not that I cannot reach Fair Trade coffee because I am only 5’4”. Many of your customers are about my height. I can reach the Fair Trade coffee, once I know it’s there.

The issue is that the Nescafe and other well-known brands are at my eye level – and that of many of your customers. The Fair Trade coffees, however, are much higher and therefore less easy to see.

If you are serious about promoting Fair Trade coffee, then surely the thing to do is to place the Nescafe – which everyone has heard of – on the top shelf, and the Fair Trade coffee at eye level, where more people might find it and try it. People specifically looking for Nescafe would search and find it anyway.

Is there any reason why you cannot do this?

Best wishes

Daphne

Of course, I am sure that the reason that they won’t swap the coffee round is because of Nestle’s insistence that their products are in prime position. In fact, one of the actors I work with once made a corporate video about washing powder where the giant manufacturer was insisting on exactly that.

However, I have a feeling that Sainsbury’s aren’t going to tell me this.

So will it be:

1) Stock Reply Number Two?

or

2) No Reply At All?

I will think of little else next week as I gaze upon the Burgundy countryside.