Le Charcutier plays its patriotic card

Photo by Natalia Nasser

Well, this might have several meanings. But let's recap. First this is taken right next to the entrance of City Mall in Hazmieh. So? Le Charcutier does not have a branch in that mall. But, competitor Le Carrefour does. So? Well, people have been calling for boycotts left and right ever since the whole Gaza issue exploded (sadly literally). So? Well, Le Charcutier is saying "From you and part of you (local expression), Lebanese from generations" (the actual words are "abban 3an jedd" - from father to grandfather - a term that TeleLiban used masterfully in the past - here). Now if you join all these dots, what do you get? Le Charcutier (at the time the name was Le Charcutier Aoun) which started as a small shop in Ashrafieh right across where the behemoth Spinney's is located, is actually sending a subliminal message to shoppers. If shoppers will connect to the emotionality and logic of it is a different matter. Since brand loyalty is out the window as of late (and this I pointed it out several times), and since shopping is more based on convenience (the closest supermarket etc....), I doubt people will click to it.

Anyhow let me tell you this story, when Spinney's implanted itself in Achrafieh - a supermarket literally 3 streets away (St. Louis) put on banners that said: "the sons and daughters of Achrafieh will shop local and will not go to the foreigner". Well, that supermarket which for a long time was actually part of the fabric of the several streets in which it was anchored, did close not long after the banners were put.

I am not accusing "the sons and daughters of Achrafieh" or the Lebanese at large of anything. But consumers are what they are.

Carrefour - pledges that the consumers need

When times are a tough as they are today in Lebanon - economically, socially, politically - any small bit helps. The other day when shopping at the supermarket, the woman in the same isle as I am was checking something on her phone - I thought it was some shopping list. Her daughter brought  an item and the woman said "no that's too much" - the item was promptly returned. It turns out the woman was calculating on her phone how much her bill would be at the counter and did not want to exceed her budget. 

This practice is something the head marketing of a major supermarket told me was happening, people wanted to benefit from supermarket offers but also wanted not to exceed their pre-allocated budgets especially that now a lot of people pay cash because card payment ceilings are incredibly limited.

Which is why the Carrefour pledges above truly matter to the end consumer. 

"If you find an item outside at a lower price, take it for free"

"If you find the price on our shelf lower than the cash register, take the item for free" 

With consumers from all socio-economic classes trying to save a penny - and I mean from all socio-economic classes - such pledges are what distinguishes one place from another. And could truly create a new loyalty when the consumer is chasing the lowest paying denominator.

Carrefour and gender stereotyping

Carrefour supermarket has jumped on the wagon of celebrating "heroes" - you know the medical staff and all then reaching their employees. The film is neither exceptional nor bad. The problem? It falls into a terrible gender stereotyping. It starts with (somewhere there is) "a nurse or a doctor caring for a patient". Nothing wrong. Except there is! In Arabic "moumarida" is female nurse and "tabib" is male doctor. Florence Nightingale must be rolling in her grave! People, there are male nurses and female doctors and many institutions (I think of Marvel as an example) who portrayed them as such to indicate inclusivity and changing standards in today's world. Carrefour should live in today's world!