簡介:
Nofrills是加拿大分布最廣泛的平價超市之一,其價格甚至比大型超市沃爾瑪(Wal-Mart)還要便宜。便宜的價格來源於其自主產業“無印良品”(No name)。其價格比同類品牌產品要低很多。這些產品大都採用黃色的簡潔包裝。包裝正面只印有"No name" 的標誌和產品名稱。現在Nofrills還添加了President‘s Choice(加拿大最大食品零售商Loblaws Inc.旗下主要品牌之一 ) 這一品牌為主銷品牌之一。
同時,Nofrills不提供免費的塑膠袋,提倡使用環保購物袋。大多分店也都回收承原來裝貨物的紙箱,代替塑膠袋免費提供給顧客。
官方介紹:
"We had to close the doors at 10:30 this morning and let people in as other people left." It was the kind of problem every store manager dreams of, especially on opening day. The first nofrills prototype store had swung open its doors in East York, near Toronto. The reaction on the part of shopppers was enthusiastic, to say the least. "The rush never stopped," explained Loblaws manager Robert St. Jean, back in July 1978. "We're really excited about it ... really excited!"
The original nofrills store was just that, no frills. No product advertising, no store displays, no meat counter, no clerks to bag your groceries, and you had to bring your own bags or pay 3 cents for each. "It doesn't bother me a bit," replied first day customer Frank Atlas when asked about bagging his own groceries. "I've saved a couple dollars with this order."
Nofrills introduced some highly innovative retailing concepts to Canadian consumers. While most grocery stores carried thousands of items, that first nofrills featured only 500. And many of the products were themselves no frills, namely no name, the line of generic products launched by Loblaws just months earlier. With their distinctive yellow packaging, bold lettering, and low prices, no name was proving a big hit with consumers. "They're a lot cheaper than name brands, most of them are just as good and some of them are even better," commented one Toronto shopper.
Nofrills was able to pass on even more savings by leaving products on display in their cardboard shipping cartons, with the sides cut away. Produce, normally washed by hand and carefully arranged, was left in its original box.
At a time when consumers were feeling the pinch of high inflation, many were only too happy to give up the frills to save money at the checkout counter. Loblaws quickly converted two dozen of its stores to nofrills outlets. Business boomed, but became increasingly competitive through the 1980s. Then, in 1987, Loblaws decided to harness the entrepreneurial spirit of local ownership, changing the stores into franchise operations. Today, those owners proudy put their names out front, from Paul's nofrills in Timmins, to Baldree's in Gananoque, to Rennie & Liz's nofrills in west-end Toronto.
A lot has changed over three decades. That first prototype store has grown into more than 130 franchise locations across Ontario. While the first stores had only a few hundred items, today's nofrills has thousands to choose from, including the very popular President's Choice, as well as no name line of products.
But with all that has changed over the years, the nofrills concept remains the same, namely providing great service and exceptional quality at a terrific price.