Supermarket takes shoppers behind the brand to mark a celebration of Fairtrade products
Supermarket takes shoppers behind the brand to mark a celebration of Fairtrade products
As Fairtrade Fortnight begins, Sainsbury’s is today revealing a new technology-based initiative to help show customers the difference that buying Fairtrade products makes to the lives of farmers and growers in some of the world’s poorest countries.
From Monday 27 February, Sainsbury’s will feature quick response (QR) code technology across key Fairtrade own brand lines that will allow customers to instantly find out the story behind the products in their basket.
Mobile marketing initiative
Using a smartphone, customers will be able to scan QR codes that will link through to the Fairtrade page on Sainsbury’s Live Well for Less website, where customers can learn about Sainsbury’s Fairtrade growers and how Fairtrade premiums generated are making an essential difference to businesses and communities around the world.
The website also links to further information about Sainsbury’s 100% Fairtrade lines of bananas, roast and ground coffee, tea, plain cotton tee shirts and roses. It is the world's biggest retailer of Fairtrade products, with sales of £276 million.
Mobile boosts engagement
Judith Batchelar, head of brand for Sainsbury’s, said: “As the world’s largest retailer of Fairtrade products, Sainsbury’s knows just how important Fairtrade premiums are to the farmers and communities that they support. By introducing QR code technology to our Fairtrade packaging, we want to help our customers to understand the huge difference Fairtrade products make in helping to improve people’s lives in developing countries around the world.
The aim is to help our customers feel more connected to the products that they are buying, and the people and communities that they are supporting as a result.”
The move to put QR codes on Fairtrade packaging is part of Sainsbury’s 2’0 by 20 Sustainability Plan’ to hit £1 billion sales of fairly traded products by 2020. This is part of Sainsbury’s 20 by 20 sustainability plan that was launched in October 2011. The codes will continue to feature on packaging after Fairtrade Fortnight 2012.
