Ways in which local grocery stores are achieving their success
In every neighborhood, there are several grocery stores that meet every day needs of the customers. However, there are several pressures that come from today’s economic conditions which have made the customers to be more selective when it comes to spending and shopping. In this regard, majority of local grocery store managers are doing their best to offer variety of products that would quickly meet the changing demands of the consumers. At the same time, they ensure that they offer quality products to their customers at a price that is reasonable to meet all the challenges in the market. One thing that is certain is that the aim of grocery stores is to satisfy their customers and offer them with the best services to prevent them from running to obtain goods from the bigger retail shops (Smith 43). In order to understand the modes of operation of a local grocery store in Texas, I decided to interview the proprietor, three employees and two customers. The following are some of the findings of the study which reveals more about how the store has managed to survive in the market for a period of more than ten years.
Phoenix is a grocery store which is located in Texas where it services more than five thousand people on a daily basis. The store is big enough with shelves all over allowing the consumers to take their time to select the products that they want at their own pace and desire. There are several employees on the standby at the corner of every shelf that guides and monitors the ways in which the customers are shopping. They can also help them in carrying their basket or shopping trolley if there is any need.
According to the grocery store proprietor, Phoenix was established in the year 2005 with main aim of meeting the consumer needs especially those residing around the area where the store is located. Initially, the store was a little bit smaller than right now because of the little capital that they had at that particular time. This was mainly contributed by economic recession whereby the inflation rate had affected the level of consumer spending. The proprietor mentioned that “we did not also see a need of opening a larger store if the level of spending was down. Phoenix grocery store does not have any particular line of product that it sells (Smith 1).” This is because its aim of operation was to meet all the customer’s needs. However, majority of the products are fresh food to give the consumers a taste of good and healthy lifestyle.
When I inquired some of the ways in which the store has managed to succeed amidst the several grocery store in the area. The proprietor’s answer was simple; paying more attention to the customer and having a foresight on where they want to go or what they want to achieve. By having a good vision and mission plan, the store has been able to overcome the recession period while at the same time met its mission plan of expansion into a larger store. At the same time, the proprietor explained that “we do not understand their customer’s needs and tastes thus ensured that they filled the store with the right kind of products that could be sold fast (Mainz 1).” Inventory management is important because it will prevent a grocery store from stocking excess products that would end up going bad because of lack of sales which means that they will be operating at a loss on regular basis. According to the proprietor, the store had to build a reputation by stocking enough goods such that the customers do not end up missing out on purchase because they have run out of the fresh food. Through careful monitoring and keeping track of regular sales, the store managers were able to know how much stock they needed per day. The two customers that I investigated managed to attest that there was no day that they failed to get fresh food from Phoenix store. They also appreciated the management for better services especially customer relationship.
The other method that has also enabled their success is their promotional strategy. The appropriator said “successful grocery stores needs to control their promotions (Gregory1).” They need to make their intended customers aware of their products by placing ads that would attract them. Phoenix has been relying on coupons and weekly promotions whereby they sell their fresh foods at a discounted price to attract more customers. According to the proprietor, “we have to schedule with the suppliers on time ahead of the “big sale” day for them to bring enough stock to prevent customers from missing on the chance to taste their goods and services (Gregory1).” One of the employees who manage social media account for the company mentioned that online marketing has also boosted their operations especially in regards to making more customers aware of their products. The store currently has twenty employees who are handling various roles at the store. They all appreciate the manner in which the organization has been treating them. According to the proprietor, the company has expansion plans though not at the moment but in future. The vision of Phoenix is to open more grocery stores across United States where they can take part in improving the economy of the nation.
In conclusion, having a right plan and strategies will make any grocery retail shops in America to become and remain competitive in the market. Through good customer relation, promotional strategies, inventory management, and good employee relation, Phoenix grocery store in Texas has been able to achieve the needed success.
Works Cited
Gregory, Joseph. “How to Operate a Successful Grocery Store.” Smallbusiness. Com Accessed 1 April 2016
Mainz, Bernard “Top Challenges faced by Grocery Stores.” Focus Retail Software http://retailsmanagement.geo Accessed 22 May 2015.
Smith, Gray. “Stores operations and Management.” Texas Herald. www. TexasHerald.com Accessed 18 Jan 2017