Mrs Edmund Chen vs ex-Mrs Tom Cruise vs The bogus Incredibles
If you still couldn't figure out what is the puzzle, here comes the answer:
Xiang Yun vs Nicole Kidman vs NTUC Fairprice's new mascot icon: the Incredibles imitation. Turn to NTUC Fairprice advertising page on today's Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao for more details, or just take a look when u go to NTUC for groceries.
This is what i'm seen from the 3 major supermart: Shop n Save, Cold Storage and NTUC, where they want to boost their image that they are not your any ordinary supermart. So, they use celebrities or mascots. But before talking to you about Nicole n Cold Storage, let's talk about Xiang Yun first.
The Mrs Edmund Chen aka Mdm Xiang (should i called like this?) and her mother are the spokesperson of Shop n Save. If you had watched any TV programmes and their commerical breaks, you will see this ad: Xiang Yun and her mum outside SnS, and says, 'talking about saving $$$, mother is smart. Shopping at SnS can helps you save a lot. Her mom says: Save!Save!Save!' At the end of the ad, she says, Shopping at SnS, mother is the best.
Two aunties advertising the already auntie like supermart, and the new image you get: very auntie. SnS is now a supermart catering for the aunties, ah sohs and ah mahs. Somehow, it doesn't really wants me to step in again, unless i am driven with no choice but to buy from SnS. Frankly speaking, with the emergence of Giant hypermart in Bedok Central last yr and other areas + mushrooming of new NTUC outlets in various location in S'pore, SnS is coming to an losing end. Everytime i went there, the shelves looks pretty old, with limited groceries and hardly ever stock up fresh foods. The supermart desperately needs an image upgrade, but it seems that the image upgrade has failed. Only housewives buying their groceries from the nearby wet market would goes in to fill the crowd at SnS. The rest of the time? some aunties who needs to buy some stuff from there. Late afternoon and evening crowd consist of those who had just finish their work. Seriously, i've not seen anyone buying their one week supply of groceries from SnS after Giant invades Bedok central. If that's not all, take a look at their outlet in Century Sq. After the major makeover of Century Sq, the size of SnS has shrunk by abt 1/3, leaving with only 2/3 of the space left.
SnS is putting itself in some kind of image where they are about to lose, and at the same time, makes themselves very old and auntie. Just wonder did they do anything to salvage themselves from the losing end, or more rather, bringing themselves back to their heydays?
Let's talk about Cold Storage and ex-Mrs Tom Cruise. Actually, Nicole Kidman did not advertise for Cold Storage, but if you remember there was a movie from her named Stepford Wives which was in theatres last yr, Cold Storage was the official supermart to promote the tale of a TV Station chairwoman who moves into Stepford, and befriends the tai tais, but to find that the tai tais were controlled by their hubbies like robots. The tai tais, are robots, actually. No link at all rite? But hey, take a look at the place where they lives. High class estate with rich people as the resident of Stepford, and that just fits in the image of CS, catering to those living in private estates and those who can afford better products at silghtly higer price.
Just head down to any Cold Storage outlet and you will see that high salary receivers makes up part of the sources of income for CS, and the items sold there are...no difference compared to SnS and NTUC, but there are some items that is definitely NOT available at SnS n NTUC. Cadbury ice creams, concentrated lemonade in a can, cheese cut from the big chunks/blocks, freeze strawberries with creamy vanilla creme filling are some of the examples. And the products sold there? you can find what's necessary, and some other brands that's not commonly available in S'pore. It's neat, but crammed in size. With those ang mohs buying groceries at 100 bucks n more at a go, you can tell the image yaself.
NTUC: For everyone, i suppose. It's the commoner's suerpmart, you would say. But as you look at their new outlets plus upgrading of the old outlets, it has strike a balance of being a SnS, and at the same time, CS. Take a visit at their outlet in Bedok, Marine Parade and in future, Ang Mo Kio, and you get what i mean. :P