"The more things change, the more they stay the same"   How many times have we heard this. Too often. But in the supermarket business, some things have not changed and have remained the same since the 1950s.   Except for the introduction of several formidable competitors, the basic store has remained the same for more than fifty years. Perhaps it is time for a radical change. It is time to disrupt the supermarket and take the lead in shaping the future of the industry.   Today's shopper is not the same shopper as the customer from decades ago. Sophisticated, informed, technologically-savvy, and demanding, it is our number 1 job to understand their needs and to satisfy their requirements. If not, we risk losing market share, becoming another victim of paralysis, short-sightedness, and failure to plan for the future. Even more important, we must be the leaders in every facet. We cannot wait for others, we must set the agenda, and watch as others try to play catch-up. Loblaws has for its entire history been a company that sells food using technology to meet its objectives.  In the future, Loblaws must do nothing less than transform itself into a technology company that sells food. It must use information technology, apps, analytics, big data, understand its customers, to grow and prosper and thrive, while the competition struggles to keep up.	Audrey Hepburn  circa 1959  - almost 60 years later, not much has changed
Thomas Friedman in the New York Times, writes:   "Finally, we’re going through a change in the “climate” of technology and work. We’re moving into a world where computers and algorithms can analyze (reveal previously hidden patterns); optimize (tell a plane which altitude to fly each mile to get the best fuel efficiency); prophesize (tell you when your elevator will break or what your customer is likely to buy); customize (tailor any product or service for you alone); and digitize and automatize more and more products and services. Any company that doesn’t deploy all six elements will struggle, and this is changing every job and industry."   source: New York Times

The goal of this document is to outline a series of  initiatives that the company may deem worthwhile and feasible for implementation in the future. They are grouped into five categories:  retail , marketing, human resources, technology, and community relations. It might also make us think about the future, how we can better serve and understand our customers, encourage and promote company values, seek input and feedback from our colleagues, and promote, protect and publicize worthwhile community initiatives.

These initiatives are based on observations and experiences during a forty-five year career in the food business. I have witnessed the tremendous changes since beginning as a young teen-ager in 1974 with Steinberg in Montreal that have taken place during this time, but also the realization that the need for new ideas and new strategies has never been more important.

Again, we must outhink, outwork, and outhustle the competition if we are to win the battle for customers in the future. Anything less will result in the decline of the company. We must act now and we must start now to plan for success.

"If you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail." -Benjamin Franklin

 

 

 

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This document represents more than a year of work, research, reading, and gaining information and understanding of the industry and business. It is also a reflection of ideas, initiatives, observations, and programs that have been obtained over a lifetime of work. Please respect the intellectual property rights of the author and discuss this document only with the author.

 

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