Lidl’s bid to boost quality perception is still in its infancy

Despite a renewed advertising push to secure middle class shoppers, Lidl still has a lot to do to catch up with rival discounter Aldi when it comes to consumer quality perception, according to the latest YouGov figures.

Lidl surprises ad

Over the last year, Lidl has grown its ‘quality’ score – which is based on consumer’s views on what supermarket brand represents the highest quality – by 0.9 percentage points on YouGov’s BrandIndex.

In comparison rivals Asda (-4), Aldi (-1.2), Morrisons (-6.1), Tesco (-2.7) and Sainsbury’s (-0.4) have all seen their scores fall.

But, although its position of 8th out of 26 grocers is above Asda, Lidl is still behind struggling supermarket giant Tesco (with a score of 13) and Morrisons (21). German discounter rival Aldi, meanwhile, is significantly ahead with a score of 19.7.

The upmarket grocers it is aiming to steal customers from are also comfortably ahead when it comes to quality perception, with M&S and Waitrose topping the list with respective scores of 56.2 and 49.5.

The last 12 months have included the start of the Lidl Surprises campaign, which has seen the discounter ‘surprise’ customers at upmarket locations such as gastro pubs, restaurants and food markets with the premium quality of its food and drink.

The discounter also put Lidl Surprises catalogues in the broadsheets The Guardian and The Telegraph over the weekend to tie into its Easter campaign and new partnership with Michelin-starred chef Kevin Love, which will see Lidl revamp its Deluxe product range.

Lidl marketing director Arnd Pickhardt remains confident its quality-based strategy is working.

“Lidl Surprises has kick started our image change and although great prices will remain at the core of our business, developing our Deluxe range is also a long term strategy,” he said at a press event last week.

 

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