Two offensive strategies for a mini-supermarket
Through practice, offensive strategies are aimed at enhancing firms’ positions in the market by capturing new markets from the rivals. This means that offensive strategies are mostly aimed at enhancing growth by market penetration (Sahaf, 2008). For a mini-supermarket that intends to compete with well-established supermarkets, the best offensive strategy for such a supermarket would be to utilize the following two offensive strategies. First, such a mini-supermarket needs to launch a flanking attack. This strategy involves looking at the weak points of the well-established supermarkets and capitalizing on those weak points (Yannopoulos, 2011). For example, the mini-supermarket may look at the areas that have low population that may not be of interest to well-established supermarkets. If the mini-supermarket sees potential in such areas, then it should set up its business premises there. This way, the mini-supermarket can enhance its growth in such a market rather than competing with well-established supermarkets in big towns and cities.
Second, the mini-supermarket may launch guerilla attacks on the well-established supermarkets. Guerilla attacks in this case means random attacks directed towards well-established supermarkets in areas they do not enjoy customer loyalty or in areas, they cannot hit back because they are not strong in those areas. The aim of doing this would be to demoralize well-established supermarkets so that they cannot expand into those areas (Yannopoulos, 2011). Once again, the mini-supermarket may go for big towns that well-established supermarkets do not enjoy loyalty from customers, and in those towns, the mini-supermarket may work towards developing customer loyalty. If the mini-supermarket manages to develop customer loyalty in those areas, then it can block well-established supermarkets from entering those markets. By so doing, the mini-supermarket may improve its market position and financial performance. In USA, Duckwall-ALCO store has been practicing these two offensive strategies despite the domination of the market by Wal-Mart and other big supermarkets (Davidson, 2012).
References
Davidson, H. (2012). Offensive marketing. New York: Routledge.
Sahaf, M. (2008). Strategic marketing: making decisions for strategic advantage. New Delhi: PHI Learning PVT limited.
Yannopoulos, P. (2011). Defensive and offensive strategies for market success. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(13); 1-12.