Abdullah Al-Othaim takes marketing to new heights

The company was recognised with the Marketing Initiative of the Year - Saudi Arabia win at the Retail Asia Awards 2022.

Implementing marketing campaigns that translate into tangible profits is no easy feat, and the COVID-19 pandemic did not make it any easier with most consumers staying at home for their safety. Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets launched a weeks-long marketing campaign as a first of its kind in the company’s history, and in doing so was awarded the Marketing Initiative of the Year - Saudi Arabia award at the Retail Asia Awards 2022. 

The awards programme recognises major breakthroughs, innovations, and key players in the retail industry of Asia, and Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Company’s first-ever 8-week campaign on its 65th-anniversary celebration set them apart from their competition as they introduced new offers and lower prices. 

With 321 stores across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Egypt, Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets was founded in 1980 and saw itself grow across the first two decades, continuing the line with the Saleh Al-Othaim Trading Establishment which was founded in 1956 as a way of expanding the business and opening wholesale and retail stores. 

Monday offers and outstanding prices are some of the few examples that the company introduced during its 8-week campaign, whose main theme is “Imagine for 65 years, and Al-Othaim is part of you”, in order to reward its esteemed customers and create a stronger bond with the customer base. In order to see the campaign into fruition, an investment of more than 6 million riyals was injected into the marketing campaign for success. 

Due to the growing number of events in the industry doubling the number of prizes they award each year, Al-Othaim Markets needed to become very disruptive by creating excitement and enticing more customers. From an initial insight, a lot of creative content to their distinctive execution that went viral on media channels ensured the reach to a wider market, providing an opportunity to connect with customers, create an authentic shopping experience, and put customers at the centre of all the activities and celebrations. 

The campaign ran across all hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores, raising the total number of prizes to 11 cars, 65 iPhones, 650 gold coins, 6,500 free trolleys, and 655,000 Riyals credit on loyalty programme wallets and engaging with over 7,000 customers. 

After the campaign, feedback was gathered from different functions to have any points documented and to ensure a sustainable strategy is kept in place for future campaigns, as the campaign is one of its kind in the company’s history that offers scalability and an opportunity for the company to celebrate long-term existence as a local Saudi company with its customers. 

Through cross-functional efforts and the right product offering to the right customer base, net sales grew by 5.37% whilst customer visit growth raised by 1.10%. Basket sizes also witnessed an uptick of 4.23% as the company’s market share increased by 0.4% in the KSA, with hypermarkets and supermarkets growing by 0.8% compared to December 2021.

The 17th Retail Asia Awards is presented by Retail Asia. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2023 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding retail initiatives, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].