One of the biggest problems for retailers has been getting those customers who experiment with a wide variety of fish when eating at restaurants to maintain that enthusiasm when filling their retail shopping baskets.
It’s well documented that this reluctance to cook fish at home is created by many factors, such as the often-daunting idea of handling and preparing it. There’s also a sizeable band of consumers who stick only to the market-favorite species because they lack the confidence to buy and cook the alternatives.
In the United Kingdom, the latest project geared to tackling these problems is Asda’s Fish Made Simple initiative. The campaign launch has been accompanied by a large TV advertising campaign using the face of Darren Wrend, one of the retailer’s fishmongers.
Following the recent overhaul of all its 302 fresh fish counters at a total cost of GBP 1.6 million (EUR 1.9 million, USD 2.6 million), Wrend and his fellow Asda fishmongers help shoppers choose their fish from more than 20 varieties. Customers then select their preferred marinades, sauces, flavored butters or crumb toppings. Finally, they choose a cooking method so it’s handed over in either a microwave bag, oven bag or BBQ foil tray ready to cook.
Click here to read the full story from the May issue of SeaFood Business >
