Marketing strategy has the fundamental goal of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.[1] Marketing strategy includes all basic, short-term, and long-term activities in the field of marketing that deal with the analysis of the strategic initial situation of a company and the formulation, evaluation and selection of market-oriented strategies and therefore contribute to the goals of the company and its marketing objectives.Consumer preference/buying decisions
Buying decisions are concerned with what makes consumers in the market purchase from a particular shop.
Price: is a key determinant in deciding where consumers shop. Particularly after the recession people favored lower prices. This gave Aldi and Lidl an opportunity to increase the amount of stores in 2012.
Marketing and branding: is another crucial factor that influences consumers. If a consumer trusts a brand, they are more likely to buy it again. Tesco shows excellent branding with the successes of Tesco quality and Tesco finest ranges.
Quality: is a crucial aspect in the buying decision process. It is growing in importance due to consumers becoming more health focused. The variety of products within a store also impacts customer’s supermarket preference.
Loyalty cards: The introduction of loyalty programs give purchasers the right to discounts on purchases or to an allocation of points that they can use for future purchases, essentially saving them money.
Online delivery service: Tesco,