Differentiate Yourself

Recently we had one of our customers from the beautiful island of Trinidad visit our corporate office for training. While they were here we took them to other IBM system users to see how they operate their stores. It was an eye opening experience to see things through a different culture and how it relates to the way our customers run their businesses.

While on tour at one of these locations they asked a simple question, “What do you recommend a supermarket owner do to separate itself from its competitors”? Our answer was simply put…

* Know Your Neighborhood
* Specialize
* Merchandise Attractively
* Provide Superior Customer Service

It sounds all so simple yet many owners are caught up in their day to day operations to recognize how to implement these strategies. In this day and age the consumer is empowered to shop anywhere for their products. At STCR we have the opportunity, through supporting hundreds of customers nationwide and Caribbean, to see what works. It really comes down to these four strategies. Not one of those strategies alone can make you successful.

Often the Independent Grocer lacks the resources to implement and manage major changes to their operation due to lack of capital or labor. The ideas listed above do not require much to implement yet will have a tremendous impact on your customer’s perception of your store. What is required to make this strategy successful is a common mission shared with your employees. This mission needs to be consistent and constant. It’s not what you expect; it’s what you inspect.