No thanks!!
For some time now, Waitrose have had a concession within the largest Boots store in the centre of Manchester. I can see why, on paper, this makes a lot of sense for both parties: I was once told that Boots is just about the only shop in the country that literally every person in the land visits at least once a year, and the quality of Waitrose produce is quite a novelty for us northerners (unless you live in one of the more salubrious suburbs). So, put the two together and you have an undeniably compelling proposition for the busy commuter type to get something for dinner whilst picking up a few essentials in Boots.
Despite that, this marriage just ain’t working for me. And I’ve been trying to work out why for a while now. After all, I’ll happily buy toileteries and the like from Tesco or Sainsburys (or indeed a full size Waitrose, if I lived in a place posh enough to have one), so why should it feel so odd to pick up food whilst I’m in Boots? Am I alone in this?
Take a look at my basket of goods from lunchtime yesterday. Not difficult to spot the imposter is it?
Brands have been extending into new spaces, product lines and partnerships for years now, but I think in this case the two brands have overlooked the mindset of the consumer in this environment. In trying to unearth what feels so odd about seeing a whole chicken for sale in Boots I tried to go back to basics to understand what the brand means to me. You very quickly build up a mental picture of medicines and hygeine, of a white, almost clinical retail environment, with white uniformed – some would say nurse-like – staff. It even smells vaguely bathroomy with all those soapy, minty, perfumey aromas.
And when you think of it like that, you quickly realise that there is no place in this metaphorical bathroom cabinet for a whole chicken, or buffalo mozzarella for that matter, or breakfast cereal… or wine…or…
I’m imagining the footfall this particular store receives has meant that the Waitrose tie in has been a success, but I just wanted to let you know, Messrs Boot and Waitrose, that I don’t like it.
Thank you for listening… I feel much better to have got that off my chest.
Combi-offers include:
Dove body wash and pigeon salad
Gravadlax and Tampax
Olive Oil of Ulay
Mind you, I had the Boots Nytol herbal sage and onion stuffing with my Waitrose chicken and had the loveliest Sunday nap.
Can I also say that the photo could have been art directed better?
I’m pretty sure that the item behind the chicken is an innocent bottle of shampoo or something, however, it’s positioning makes it look like a large white dildo.
Actually, I may just be giving you the benefit of the doubt with that ‘shampoo’ thing.
I can confirm it is a bottle of shampoo Andy, and I take on board your comment about the art direction.
In my defence, I was getting some pretty weird looks taking a picture of a raw chicken in a basket as it was, so people would have thought I’d gone completely gaga if I’d also had to explain I needed to make sure I was capturing the bottle of Pantene’s good side.
Sorry, I’m just sniggering at “sensitive pro-relief”