Epicurian Feria

Convening the entire community to a feast is one way to move up the social ladder. It’s also a massive undertaking, but one that Chadstone —The Fashion Capital (Chadstone) was eager to face in a bid to raise its food category market share up from below average.

With a choice reputation built on its fashion roster, the Australian center had no real compelling fresh food or grocery offer until it made the move to introduce three supermarkets, several gourmet eateries and a range of everyday food retailers, cafes and restaurants in one new Fresh Food Precinct.

When it came time for the unveiling, the center went all out, hosting an event that would stimulate shoppers’ senses and help visitors develop a taste for a rich culinary experience that would be uniquely Chadstone.

“Citizens, Feast with Abandon” was the rallying call, and those who came were treated to cooking demonstrations, opening offers, free food sampling, giveaways, a gift-with-purchase promotion and a chance to mingle with some of Australia’s top culinary talent.

Chadstone planned a real advertising blitz to not only convince existing customers that there was more to their favorite destination than fashion labels—effectively extending the center’s brand proposition—but also win new clients from competing food and grocery precincts (see Media Mix). The key words to communicate all of this: freshness, gastronomy, convenience and uniqueness.

The result of the campaign was a lift in public awareness and media interest (see In the Spotlight), as well the establishment of new relationships that Chadstone can rely on in the future to market its food retailers and jack up sales.

“I found the whole experience of being at Chadstone a delight—from the pre-planning and organization to the warmth on-site from all the crew and Chadstone employees but most especially from the crowd, many of whom had come especially to see me,” said Lyndey Milan of BBC Australian Good Food magazine.

“We were thrilled to be part of the opening of the Fresh Food Precinct at Chadstone. It was a great opportunity for Donna to introduce her new book and be associated with such a fantastic center. We loved working with the team at Chadstone as they always do such a fantastic job,” added Patricia Frost, business manager for chef Donna Hay.

Now, more than a year after launching its Fresh Food Precinct, Chadstone continues to actively promote its eateries and fresh food retailers. The ChadstoneShopping.com.au website serves as an important platform in this regard, featuring an “Eat” tab under which customers can search for Fresh Food Precinct stores, location map, news and events, as well as recipes.