Dixons - The last place you want to go?
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Is Dixons admitting that it’s in trouble with its latest adverts?
The ads state: “Step into middle England’s best loved department store, stroll through haberdashery to the audiovisual department where an awfully well brought up young man will bend over backwards to find the right TV for you.”
Followed by the self depreciating tag line: “Then go to Dixons.co.uk - the last place you want to go.”
The ads, seemingly targeting John Lewis among others, have understandably split opinion and have been branded a “silly move” by commentators on marektingweek.co.uk. It has even been suggested that the Dixons faces the same problems experienced by collapsed retailer Woolworths by one of the posts.
To some the campaign screams desperation, but I think what Dixon’s is doing with its latest advertising campaign should be given a bit more credit.
It’s commendable that Dixons is proving how self aware it is of it’s weaknesses as well as its strengths.
Dixons is proving it’s aware of how consumers are shopping. Consumer behaviour has changed rapidly in the past 12 months and it’s no secret that many research big ticket items in stores such as John Lewis and then scour the internet for the best price to make their purchase.
Everyone knows John Lewis gives tip top service, something Dixons can’t compete with as it no longer has the face to face contact with shoppers it had before becoming a purely online retailer in 2006.
What it can compete on is price.
However, it’s difficult to pull of this kind of tactic without reminding people that you really are “the last place you’re want to shop.”
There is always a risk that this kind of tactic will further damage the brand. Instead of reassuring customers that it is improving its service and building its reputation, Dixons seems to be resigning itself to the fact that it’s famed for offering shoddy service and a dissatisfying shopping experience.
A tongue in cheek campaign like this might be better received from a retailer with slightly stronger credentials than Dixons has.
But at least it’s gotten people talking about it.
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Readers' comments (15)
Bentos | Tue, 22 Sep 2009 5:00 pm
I think 'the last place you want to go' is a touch cleverer than you're giving it credit for too. You know how something is always in the last pocket you look in? Well of course it is, you're not going to keep looking after you've found it are you. Same here, the last place you want to go, 'cause that's where you're going to buy it.
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Anonymous | Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:52 am
It would appear to me as a middle class buyer, Dixons don't want me to shop at their store or indeed expect me to.
Have they written off the middle class market?
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MI Marketeer | Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:52 am
The slightly sneering attitude of these ads does make Dixons come accross as a bit bitter and rather desperate. They remind me that when Dixons had a high street presence their service was pretty appalling compared to John Lewis (the product knowledge of most of the staff was minimal - they used to read the information on the price cards to you if you asked a question).
Another reason this seems a bit desperate is that it is a very short term view. Without high street retailers offering advice and physically displaying the product, online retailers won't be able to benefit from these shopping habits.
Consumers do behave like this but I wonder whether they will react well to having their parasitic shopping habits pointed out to them. I say this as someone who looked at a fridge freezer in John Lewis and bought it from Dixons online. I'm still happy with the saving I made but I hate the idea of Dixons gloating about it and I now feel a twinge of regret that I let Dixons have my business.
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Anonymous | Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:40 pm
Dixons are shooting themselves in the foot. John Lewis pride themselves on never knowingly underselling. Should John Lewis decide to retaliate and price match then what have Dixons gained? Competing on the 'easiest' aspect of retail to change - price - is a dangerous and short termist tactic for Dixons.
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Peter Orlov | Wed, 23 Sep 2009 1:18 pm
"Without high street retailers offering advice and physically displaying the product, online retailers won't be able to benefit from these shopping habits."
So are you suggesting that the ads will be so successful that John Lewis will be wiped off the face of the earth? If so, they're surely genius? If not, then am not sure you have much of a point.
The ads are superb. There is no way that Dixons.co.uk can compete with JL (or Selfridges etc) on anything other than price. So why not encourage people to do what they have started doing already: finding what they want, then getting it online. Really, Dixons' advertising is aimed at eBay, amazon, etc. The "middle classes" will continue shopping at JL if price isn't a factor - or they will swallow their pride and go to where it's cheapest.
Hats off to M&C Saatchi. Again.
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Marianne | Wed, 23 Sep 2009 3:10 pm
Ethics anyone??
Is it fair to get all the work, comparative price ... by one retailer, and shop at the cheap, nasty, ill informed at the end?
Seems to me that Dixons expect us to reward mediocrity.
"Every job deserves a salary"
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Ian Benton | Thu, 24 Sep 2009 1:01 pm
I completely agree with the top comment that it is actually a very clever strapline that makes a consumer think, laugh and then probably act by doing exactly what they want them to do which is to check that things are cheaper from Dixon's or they can buy for the same price but get a better delivery time etc. All they are doing is reflecting consumer behaviours in this tough climate in a clever way that depositions their competitors which outside of John Lewis probably are more expensive than buying online. If you stay in the middle of the road you get run over as one very clever person at Interbrand told us at Nestle when we were coming up with the Yorkie It's Not for Girls and I think what Dixon's are doing is positioning themselves very cleverly in a tough market.
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Anonymous | Sat, 26 Sep 2009 5:31 pm
Dixon really is the last place i would go to , anywhere else would be preferable if they sell what i want
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erica | Fri, 2 Oct 2009 3:56 pm
Dixon’s ad campaign tells me they are admitting they provide a terrible shopping experience (which I wholeheartedly agree with); they are aware they employ poorly trained, poorly paid staff who know nothing about the products they’re selling.
The campaign encourages people to 'use' the knowledge other retailers take time and money to invest in, ignoring the simple fact if everyone did as they suggested, the ‘best loved’ and ‘most happening’ department stores will have to cut the ‘awfully well brought up young man’ or the ‘sound & vision technologist in the Marc Jacobs sandals’ from their payroll.
There is nothing wrong with shopping around, but who you finally pay your money to will depend on your system of values. If you value price above variety, a pleasant shopping experience, knowledgeable and friendly helpful staff…. Well…you’re probably best researching and shopping online!
This ad campaign is not ‘clever’. It simply reminds me Dixons is truly is the last place I want to spend any time. At least we don’t have to watch their silly star-trekky ads anymore.
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Chris | Wed, 7 Oct 2009 10:31 am
I have to agree that when I first read about this I thought it was rather stupid as, to me, it was saying that Dixons was the last place i would shop at.
However, having thought about it I actually think it's quite clever. It really does remind you not to be too hasty and buy it instore and to wait till you get home to research the price. At the end of the day if the price difference between the store and online is nominal then of course buy it instore if you feel their after sales service is better.
What seems to have been overlooked is the fact that Dixons probably offers the best service of any online pureplayer. Dixons online have the benefit of the vast 'group' service infrastructure. No other pureplayer has this. Even without checking I would probably be correct in saying that the delivery time of large domestic appliances is way quick than it's pureplayer competitors, this will also go for service related issues.
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