“Heinz To Home” - a lesson in simplicity

Last week Heinz, with the minimum of fuss, launched in the UK ‘Heinz To Home’ an incredibly simple eCommerce proposition based on shipping a box of 16 cans of their most popular products.

Costing £10 plus shipping which is being waived for ‘frontline’ COVID19 workers this savvy proposition is tapping into the virus zeitgeist.

A beautifully simple website and a very Henry Ford approach to product selection - you can have any product you want as long it’s the 3 they have decided. The result is a UX which ensures rapid progress and a speedy transaction.

I tried the service out. Although my mother is in good health, shopping once a week at Mark’s & Spencer with a couple of good corner shops close by and a ‘cook from scratch’ sort of person she nonetheless likes tins for emergencies.

A few clicks later and I forgot all about it until yesterday when the box arrived to a very happy reaction. Tins are heavy and this was a welcome addition to the store cupboard.

I’ve no idea if this has been an offering a long time in the making from Heinz but it has absolutely arrived at the right time. Even with a relaxation of ‘social distancing’ until there is a vaccine certain segments of society will still be tied closer to home. And besides this is an offering which, virus or no virus, has an appeal.

Sure there are plenty of general grocery delivery options but a brand of this heft has permission to go direct and since they are retaining full margin it must be a profitable channel for them. Presumably, if it proves popular, more products will be added. But it feels like this is a less is more offering although adding a subscription option might be popular.

This is a fascinating period. The brands that are making fast pivots and addressing new needs are going to be in a much better position - reputations enhanced through their reaction to unprecedented times.

Mark Izatt is a brand consultant living in London and founder of Mission Critical, a highly focused and curated weekly briefing for time poor and information hungry decision makers and THE FIRST, a monthly briefing containing 31 inspirational insights. Mission Critical is a digital product delivered via his Estonian Consultancy business.

You can email Mark here.