I buy eggs in the Watergate Hotel. No, that’s not some secret Deep Throat code, I actually go grocery shopping in Watergate. Okay, it’s really the Safeway that’s under the hotel. But, on a map, I stock up on the same dot that marks one of the most infamous American crime scenes of the 20th century. Washington residents often face these stark contrasts, the somber faces of American history looming over us as we hurry out to buy batteries.
History aside, the Watergate Safeway really had to earn me as a (reluctant) customer. Here are the battles I had to win on their behalf in order for me remain a Safeway customer:
Negative Reputation
Safeway has a dubious reputation in DC. A fact well documented by one of colleagues last year. Each Safeway store in DC seems be especially handicapped in one particular area. It’s as though all the Safeways got together and divvied up their shortcomings:
“Ok, 17th & Corcoran, you guys be sure to only put out rotting produce. Wisconsin & 34th, I want you guys to take all the wheels off your shopping carts. Ready, break!”
Competition
When I told friends where I was moving - 21st and I street - the first reaction was typically, “Oh, that’s so close to Trader Joe’s!” Indeed, a few blocks up Pennsylvania Ave is a Trader Joe’s. Had I been from another city altogether, I might have assumed that Trader Joe’s was the only store in town based solely on these conversations.
Location
Real estate is a hot commodity in downtown Washington and D-level grocery stores like Safeway often get stuck with cramped quarters and poor visibility. Such is the case with my neighborhood Safeway. Since Safeway has chosen to adopt the large, faceless model of communications, I was forced to turn to user generated content for help in locating the infamous store…
Here’s the faceless model:
And here’s where I had to turn to get help after an unsuccessful attempt to find the store:
“This store is very hard to find. It is located at the Shops at Watergate and is not visible from the street. You have to take the escalator,” the first description reads. Thank you Safeway Google Map Reviewer. I found it after reading this.
What do these three battles have in common? They are all won and lost on the Word of Mouth battlefield. In the first two points, WOM pushed me way from the brand and toward a competitor. In the third example, ironically, it was user generated content (a helpful review) that won the day.
Safeway would be well advised to put an ear to the street in this city and listen to these already existing conversations, both good and bad.
And, while they’re at it. Why not…
..Aggregate the Google map reviews into the Store Finder on the corporate site so that people can get directions from their neighbors and not a useless corporate map? Who cares if the descriptions claim your store is hard to find? It is. At least proper directions will help get customer in the store.
..Latch onto the novelty of the locations and tell customers a story. You’re selling lettuce in the Watergate. Build a narrative. Other brands have much done more in this department with much less.
…What else? Grab a Marker.
I’ll continue to shop at Safeway for some generic staples, but I predict the majority of my grocery shopping will shift over to Trader Joe’s. I hear there’s one just up the street…
