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Today’s news isn’t unexpected. Such a big turnaround is needed at Tesco and this takes time - especially with the discounters continuing to redefine the market. It isn’t simply a case of reclaiming old ground, but of working out the new landscape and defining which part of it is up for grabs. There are glimmers of hope with the newly refurbished stores actually showing sales growth, but with such a large estate these changes are only touching a very small proportion of shoppers, so most are left wondering if Tesco is attempting to change.

Shoppers these days are clearly focused on the price of food, so no doubt that price wars in general will help their cause…but in isolation, they are unlikely to help individual retailers as all price wars do is encourage shopping around and disloyal shopping behaviour. No surprise then that Tesco’s latest price initiative doesn’t seem to have taken shoppers by storm, and that there is much still to do to define and own a point of differentiation that will tap into shoppers’ needs.

In addition the lack of impact of the new price initiative reinforces suspicions of a continuing disconnect between Tesco and shoppers – despite the fact Tesco has the treasure trove of Dunnhumby data at its fingertips. So are Tesco really listening to shoppers and finding solutions to their needs, or just coming up with ideas based on Tesco’s own business needs?

With so much choice now available shoppers are not just being savvy about price, but also savvy about where and when they shop. They are picking and choosing the stores that suit them based on their needs as individuals, whether it is about lowest price, best quality, best value or a really enjoyable shopping experience. Retailers who work on a one size fits all approach are losing out. They need to flex their business and their stores to meet the needs of a whole range of shoppers, rather than attempt to satisfy everyone with a standard approach. And that means a big shift in strategy for someone like Tesco – and big shifts not only take effort, but time and commitment.