Sainsbury's Bank sells to shoppers in grocery aisles

by MARK KLEINMAN, Marketing 03-Oct-02

Sainsbury's shoppers are being targeted by salespeople in an attempt to persuade them to buy financial products as they shop for groceries.

The strategy comes as Sainsbury's Bank takes a more aggressive approach to customer acquisition.

It is being trialled in 17 Sainsbury's stores and is designed to improve cross-selling of banking products to a 'captive audience'.

Sales staff are offering customers free gifts, such as chocolates, in order to get their attention.

Sainsbury's Bank is forging closer links with its sister supermarket brand by launching a campaign straplined 'Fresh Banking' (Marketing, September 26).

The bank, a joint venture between Sainsbury's and HBOS, has appointed integrated agency Meteorite to work on the new approach.

Direct mail segmentation techniques are being applied to the in-store environment to help Sainsbury's Bank tailor offers to customers according to the demographic profiles of the stores in which they shop.

The strategy will be used to sell the full portfolio of Sainsbury's Bank products.

Sainsbury's Bank launched in 1997 and reported a surge in annual profits to £22m in May.

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