The UK retailer sector is one of the most competitive in the world, with 12 retailers (ALDI, Amazon Fresh, Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose) owning over 97% of the UK grocery market. The top three alone - Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda – account for 46% of this share. Chances are you’ve shopped at one of these supermarkets in the past month. And each of these retail giants is fighting tooth and nail for your custom.

The importance of market share

Market share is a critical metric for retailers, serving as proof that their business strategies are working. It indicates that they are drawing in more customers and selling more products than they were before. Job security, bonuses and future investment are all underpinned by a retailer’s performance. So, it is vital they not only retain their current customers but also attract shoppers away from their competitors.

Retail strategies for customer retention

So, what tactics can retailers use to achieve this? Price is by far the most hard-hitting and noticeable tactic. Being the cheapest supermarket or offering the best-perceived value is something consumers easily understand and can often be swayed by if they believe all other factors such as animal welfare, sustainability and quality are equal.

Brand trust is another way retailers can attract and retain customers. If a consumer believes the core values of the supermarket align with their own, they may be more inclined to show loyalty, and even accept a higher product cost. However, for a consumer to really make an informed choice they must be given all the facts about what they are purchasing, and not just the marketing messages that the retailers want to promote.

Transparency in broiler chicken welfare

Consider the sale of chicken meat. Less than 5% of broiler chickens in the UK are raised in free-range and organic systems. The meat from these birds is clearly labelled, allowing consumers to easily identify them. However, the welfare conditions for indoor-reared chicken, which account for the vast majority of chicken meat sold, are often unclear and not well understood by most shoppers.

The Better Chicken Commitment

The most robust and science-led set of criteria to improve the baseline standard of welfare for broiler chickens is the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). This set of five criteria addresses all aspects of the chicken’s life, from how much space is provided for free movement, to ensuring birds are bred for good welfare outcomes. It also includes providing an enriched environment to promote natural behaviours such as perching, pecking and foraging, as well as more humane methods of slaughter.

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), along with other NGOs, has been calling for UK supermarkets to sign up to the BCC since 2017, and to communicate this to their customers. M&S and Waitrose led the way, signing up in 2018 and 2019 respectively. M&S has been 100% compliant on its fresh chicken since Autumn 2022, which is marketed under its Oakham Gold label.

More recently, most of the remaining retailers have committed to providing birds with more space by lowering their stocking density to match that of the 30kg/m2 required by the BCC. But how well are they performing on the other criteria of the BCC?

Spotlights table: Retailer policies compared to BCC criteria

Our simple table highlights the UK retailers’ public-facing policies and commitments for their fresh chicken against the five criteria of the BCC. For each criterion, we indicate compliance with a clear visual:

Are UK retailers sacrificing transparency for customer retention when it comes to chicken welfare?