So after surviving Christmas, how to face the challenges of a New Year and surmount them? This year has been particularly hard for some retailers, notably Kwik Save - a company that pioneered cheap products, overcome by others that did it better and moved faster.
How best then, to improve? Well, of course, there is the strategy direction (or lack of) that finally led to the demise of Kwik Save. But from the point of view of MB&R readers, the key to success lies on the shop floor. And right at the sharp end are the store managers. So, what better than to go back and talk to some of the managers who have featured on the cover of this magazine?
Managers often complain that their voice seems not to be heard, as they try to swim through the morass of orders, instructions, recommendations and meeting notes in a day badly compromised by internal and external meetings. And, of course, there are customers, who need an answer NOW. All of this attended by a varying shortage of staff. So this is the chance for feedback from the shop floor, starting with the managers of the month.
I don't want to give away too many details yet, but I can share with you the thoughts of one manager from a very well known major, high-quality food chain. We asked, "What is the major requirement, in your view, for success in your job?" He answered: "Insanity."
Colin Harper is MD at Storecheck Marketing
Has the number of customer complaints about the price of goods increased recently?
