Supermarket shoppers pay to look at 20 different lines but they only buy one, says Paul Foley, who heads Aldi in the UK. Unlike the big four grocers, his approach is to stock only one type of baked bean. By doing so he can deliver better quality at a lower price. Aldi delivers two benefits to its shoppers, says Foley. First, they save time as they do not have to select products from displays cluttered with brands they don't want. Second, they understand the value proposition and are not taken in by the "cheapest-on-display" measures used by his competitors. Thrifty shoppers from all income levels are visiting Aldi, he says. When the recession is over, they may stay. However, thrifty shoppers from all income levels have always been looking for a bargain. In the 1970s my mother ganged up with her friends and took it in turns to shop at the wholesale markets for fruit and vegetables, meat and fish. The bigger obstacle to the Aldi approach may be that it is impossible to get the one product right for all people. While shoppers may like their beans, they may not like their pasta? The proposition of one-size-fits-all is easy to understand and difficult to execute. Nimble independent retailers should be able to find a way to compete.
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...
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