Just as a written commitment means that you are more likely to deliver on your promises, so too for independent shopkeepers joining a symbol group means that you are more likely to work in a disciplined way with your wholesale supplier. In the past three years the symbol group independent has performed better and the idea of affiliation has become more appealing as the spread of the excellent Tesco Express format has changed the competitive position in the battle for local shoppers. In a perverse way, the spread of Express has helped define what a good symbol group shop should look like, how it should work and has motivated the owners of local shops to aim higher and demand more of themselves and their staff.
True in part to my New Year resolution, I held a business meeting in an independent coffee shop today just next door to a Starbucks. The cafe was presented well and four staff were busy preparing for the lunchtime rush, at 11am. As my guests were late, I had a half hour overview of footfall on the street outside and in the restaurant. Six customers. Barely enough to form the queue in Starbucks or Pret-a-Manger just down the road. Plus one Italian girl who dropped off her CV. Some people stopped to look at the posters in the window and moved on. The owners seemed quite happy. When I left just after 1215, they were doing brisk trade. However, I have the impression that the business is not working hard enough. It could easily have managed 120 customers between 11 and 12, instead of 12. This is lost profit as the fixed overheads and staff costs are already in place. The owners are clearly busy - perhaps too busy to take time to look at the potential that their cafe has. What shou...
Comments
Post a Comment