Few shoppers think about a supermarket as an aspirational destination; rather, it is part of the rhythm of everyday life, somewhere to pop in to pick up dinner on the way home from work, to buy fresh food for the family, or where they work out how to make the weekly grocery budget go a little further.

For Darren Chan, MD, Food, Hong Kong & Macau at DFI Retail Group, that ordinariness is precisely what makes grocery retail both challenging and significant. A supermarket has to remain relevant not through occasional moments of excitement, but through the countless small decisions consumers make throughout their daily lives.

Unlike major purchases that take months of research, grocery shopping is a daily habit. People make split-second choices without agonising over brand loyalty. Yet over time, those small, repeated decisions build something far more powerful: Familiarity, trust, and real advocacy.

“Brand conviction is earned through consistency,” Chan says. “As a supermarket, we are part of customers’ everyday lives, from family meals to household budgeting.”

For Wellcome, that means nailing the basics every day, rather than relying on flashy, promotional hype. Delivering consistent quality, real value, and total convenience sounds simple, but keeping those promises day in and day out is a challenge to master. It’s an imperative that has made Wellcome No 10 in our inaugural Brand Conviction Index.

From shoppers to brand advocates

Chan believes the true test of loyalty isn’t just a repeat purchase; it’s whether a customer trusts the brand enough to recommend it to others.

“True loyalty is built on trust rather than transactions,” he adds.

In a sector driven by endless discount wars, real advocacy requires a better total experience, and shoppers need to find what they want, feel like they got a fair deal, and know the retailer understands their daily lives.

The supermarket then becomes the easy, default choice, the store you head to without overthinking because you already know what to expect.

That’s where genuine word-of-mouth kicks in. A recommendation to a friend is rarely about a single half-price deal; it reflects a steady habit built over dozens of visits. Wellcome’s real goal is to give people enough consistent reasons to stick around and eventually spread the word.

Shopping habits have also evolved. People no longer draw a line between walking into a store and tapping an app; they want convenience. DFI has continued investing in its physical stores while scaling up options such as click-and-collect and quick-commerce delivery, with the goal not to flex new tech for its own sake, but to fit seamlessly into modern schedules.

“Lasting relationships are built when customers feel a brand evolves alongside them,” Chan notes.

Value beyond the price tag

Wellcome defines value as a long-term promise rather than a quick promotional gimmick, and focuses on meeting constantly changing customer needs rather than brief market trends.

Chan sees value as a foundation of a long-term brand proposition, something that should help shoppers feel they are making sensible choices across their overall grocery basket, rather than only when a particular item happens to be discounted.

“Customers increasingly want confidence and predictability in their grocery spending,” Chan explains.

Promotions still have a place; they spark urgency and get people through the door; however, Chan sees them as just one tool among many. A discount might draw a shopper today, but the overall shopping experience influences whether they come back next week.

That logic also applies heavily to first impressions. If marketing creates high expectations, the first visit has to deliver on them immediately with fresh stock, fair prices, and zero hassle.

Winning a place in daily life

That becomes even more important when the wider economic environment puts pressure on household spending.

As consumers become more selective about where their money goes, scale remains an important advantage for large retailers, but Chan thinks it is only part of the equation. Shoppers also want reassurance that their money is being well spent, particularly when budgets are under strain.

“Customers want reassurance that they are receiving quality, value, and reliability,” Chan says.

In uncertain times, familiar, reliable brands win out because returning to them feels safe and effortless. Chan also points out a critical gap in modern retail analytics: “Data can tell you what customers do, but not always why they do it.”

For example, a scan registers as a plain data point on a spreadsheet. But the purchase could be a parent grabbing last-minute dinner ingredients, someone buying a birthday cake, or a family carefully managing a tight budget. Those ordinary moments can be where a retail brand proves its worth.

That’s the heart of Wellcome’s success. The retailer builds trust cumulatively by getting the simple things right, rather than relying on viral campaigns.

Chan thinks the ultimate proof of loyalty is simple: A customer returns because the store has seamlessly woven itself into their life. And when that habit turns into a recommendation, true advocacy takes over. Wellcome’s focus is on earning that spot, not through one grand gesture, but through thousands of reliable, ordinary moments.