Skip to main content

Tough times need tough benchmarks

Underneath the hype, the Christmas announcements by the major grocers demonstrate tough trading conditions, with Tesco saying that like-for-like sales in the UK were up by just 0.6 per cent. The analysts will be having this in negative territory in no time.

The impact of Tesco's investment in new space is a 3.6 per cent increase in sales yet the Kantar Worldpanel figures show its market share remains unchanged at 30.5 per cent. The two sets of figures are not strictly aligned but local retailers can see the picture.

Across at Sainsbury, which is doing well, the Kantar Worldpanel figures show it adding 0.3 per cent of market share to 16.6 per cent, just behind Asda on 16.8 per cent (which lost a 10th of a basis point). Sainsbury reported like-for-like sales growth of 3.6 per cent but City analysts cut this down to almost zero after stripping out new space, VAT and food price inflation.

The Tesco press release highlighted "Steady UK Performance" and Sainsbury trumpeted a "record Christmas performance". Earlier Morrisons had said that around 40 per cent of sales were on promotion and the average family was having to spend £10 a week more in petrol costs.
 
The Kantar Worldpanel figures show that independents grew sales fractionally behind the multiples but Ed Garner noted that the supermarkets' baskets were filled with DVDs, toys and books. Grocery inflation remains at around 3 per cent, his data shows.
 
To benchmark your sales, add up what you sold in the final quarter of 2009 and add 3 per cent. Then compare this with what you sold in the final quarter of 2010. If you have a positive number, then you are doing very well. Remember to tell your suppliers you are doing well and keep it up.

Comments

  1. The Village Postmaster13 January 2011 at 18:42

    Good post. You explain the calculation in simple terms to show volume sales growth or other wise.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown19 January 2011 at 14:13

    Thanks Steve, I see that the Times is giving the Tesco c-stores a year-on-year figure of plus 5 per cent. But I am sure that was not a like-for-like. Talking to a business agent last night, he said trading had been tough all year. Easter, Christmas, Mother's Day and increasingly Hallowe'en are where they are focused, with Hallowe'en said to be the biggest opportunity.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Three secrets of great merchandising

Look at the ceiling and top wall of this McDonalds restaurant. There is a picture of two good looking healthy people having fun and some bright primary colours. Ask yourself what is the purpose of this picture? In the latest issue of Retail Newsagent in a feature on merchandising, Andrew Knight of RI tells its independent readers that they need to think about using sharp pictures of non-packaged products linked to people consuming goods. Perhaps this has been taken to the next level by the fast food chain - that is selling the feeling of being happy and healthy rather than the products. A second, related tip from the same feature is made by most contributors - it is vital to keep windows clean and clear of clutter. "I believe that less is more," says Roli Ranger, a retailer from Ascot, Berkshire. He has posters for promotions in between the windows that are regularly updated and discreet signs in the windows. Third, a highly visible well-stocked promotion at the entranc
3 comments
Read more

Overcoming a price disadvantage

Planning for his speech at the Independent Achievers Academy last week, Theo Paphitis asked an assistant to buy a basket of six essentials from a Tesco, a Londis (independent operator in a symbol group) and a One Stop (Tesco's CTN/convenience chain). Tesco was cheapest by a big margin. Second came Londis. The most expensive was One Stop. Mr Paphitis understands the power of the supermarkets and he says the way to counter them is to focus on how to make the experience of shopping with you more relevant to shoppers or more enjoyable for them. John Heynan, sales director of Molson Coors, told Retail Newsagent at about the same time that occasional beer buyers will pay 13 per cent more for their beer in an independent convenience store, provided the retailer targets them appropriately. Tesco has carved itself out this 13 per cent head start. Looking at pricing, if Tesco is 100, then Tesco Express is 108, One Stop is 112, a good symbol group is 115 and non-affiliated independents
2 comments
Read more

A sign of retail stress perhaps

It must have been four months since this window was broken in the Tesco Express on Pentonville Road and I simply cannot believe that it has not been fixed. This is the sort of lack of focus that independent shops usually get criticised for. The only purpose in sharing this image is to encourage those independents with high standards who are finding the going tough that they can do better than this.
3 comments
Read more