A Myer of a Black and White Brand

Ethan Switch - Thursday, 12 February 2004 - 14:08:50 - print it raw

"Customers want more than a name change and we are giving it to them. Over the past 18 months, our NSW and ACT customers have seen many improvements in the merchandise we sell, our customer service and our stores, and there are many more improvements to come." said Managing Director, Dawn Robertson.

Grace Bros stores in New South Wales and the ACT have begun the change to the black and white MYER brand. A stated reason behind the shift was for sameness throughout the countrywide marketing campaigns and slightly lowered costs in buying non-biodegradable plastic bags.

The unveiling yesterday was not without a hitch. The banner proclaiming the new of the Grace Bros Sydney City store caught itself with the overhanging pole which a few in the crowd considered to be an omen. David Jones was just on the other side of the Sydney Tower.

Customers surveyed by the company considered the red rosed stores to be that of a lower quality to other similar stores, such as the other black and white, David Jones. The rebranding from a bold red to a soulless black and white might be Coles Myers' shot at taking out those customers who shop with the conviction that a lack of bold colour represents high quality. Then again, it could mean a simpler move later down the track to usurp the competing Jones stores since they would operate with the same colour scheme anyway.