Question

write the introduction of the "Your Independent Grocer" and who( person or department) can be change resistant? how management can deal with this role?

Answer 1

Question : write the introduction of the "Your Independent Grocer" and who( person or department) can be change resistant? how management can deal with this role?

Answer:

"Your Independent Grocer" is a supermarket chain based in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a unit of National Grocers, itself a unit of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor. Stores are typically operated by a franchise owner.

With regards to change resistant, there’s no doubt that every year that passes will make it more difficult for independent grocers to survive. The reasons are the retail environment is becoming more online and omni-channel focused. These are the technologies that the big chains adopt to help them compete. Both of these technologies are weak points for the independent grocer. Additionally, the consumer changes amplify the challenge. Independent grocers’ shoppers tend to be older people who shop based on old habits and personal service. This is less the case for younger generations.

The differentiation factors that your independent grocer can use are the personal touch and the human experience. They can also play the “local community” card — sourcing local products that are healthier and fresher due to the advantages of smaller size.

With regards to management their role is very vital, it’s impossible to ignore the many “game-changing” products and operational strategies that are being pushed at grocers from every direction. The endless opportunities for advancement, not to mention the inherent tech race present in the industry, can be overwhelming and even seem un achievable to independent grocers who are just trying to compete with larger retailers.What you, and the big box stores and retail giants like Walmart and Amazon, don’t realize is that your independent grocer will actually have an advantage in 2020.

That’s right, an advantage. Though large retailers have access to the latest and greatest in technology and retail optimization, there are a few things that management of your independent grocer can adopt.as per below inferences:

The Independent Grocer Advantage in 2020 it’s a unique privilege to be an independent grocer. The intimate understanding that you have of each of your stores, your employees, and how to serve each location’s customers can’t be matched by a chain retailer. However, your advantage will go so much deeper than that baseline observation in 2020.

Independent grocers are closer to the customer

We’ll start here, with perhaps the most important advantage that you’ll have as an independent grocer in 2020: your knowledge of, and connection to, your customers. Your customers aren’t just a number to you. They’re not defined by their transactions, or the amount they bring in on your bottom line. It’s likely that they, or their employees, know many of them by name. You understand their preferences and they, in turn, aren’t afraid to let the grocer know when they’re not impressed with something in the store.

In the digital age, where choice is abundant and customers don’t have to shop from the store just because geographically advantageous situation, that customer loyalty is the most important currency that one can collect.

That’s where the grocer have an advantage as an independent grocer. Walmart may have thousands of stores in the United States, and Amazon may have the ability to service any customer with an internet connection, but they don’t know them like you do. They aren’t able to provide the kind of support and connection as an independent grocer. They can’t draw people to them because their employees are familiar faces from the community. An online order just doesn’t develop the same kind of customer loyalty and satisfaction as an in-store experience does.

Person-to-person interaction is more important than ever to customers who are fed up with the constant digitization of communication. This doesn’t just go for baby boomers either - millennials and Gen Z “actually prefer person-to-person interactions over digital options in most situations” according to a survey by Mannersight.

As an independent grocer, their ability to not only provide your customers with that in-person interaction, but to take it a step further and develop authentic relationships with your customers gives you a serious advantage over Amazon and Walmart in 2020.

Independent grocers have an uncommon knowledge of their community

So it’s true that the grocer know their customers like the back of your hand, but what gives them an even bigger leg up on the larger competition? Their insider knowledge of the communities that they’re serving.

Employees, and customers are usually part of the same community if somebody is an independent grocer. That is just not the case when it comes to larger retailers. Though they may have done geographic, psychographic, and demographic research on your neighborhood before setting up shop, there are clear-cut differences between the communities that grocer serve and those around the country that you would only understand if grocer were a part of it. As an independent grocer, they have an innate connection and shared history with your customers that translates into a distinctly familiar in-store experience. How many times have they heard the word “personalization” come up in industry conversation? This buzzword isn’t just about technological innovation, it also brings up the idea that customers want to feel familiarity in your store, as if it was designed with them in mind. There is a consumer trend toward shopping locally for that very reason, and shoppers spend more when they head to an independent grocery store than they would at an e-tailer or a big box store. Nielsen found that loyal independent grocery shoppers spend more than 40% more on groceries than the average shopper.

With this knowledge of the community, they can cater to your customers’ unique needs, offer them with the exact products that they’re searching for, and provide an experience that fits in perfectly with the your community’s individual atmosphere.

Independent grocers are agile

Finally, a major advantage that independent grocers have over larger retailers is agility. Where big name brands need to wade through miles of bureaucratic red tape in order to make a procedural or operational change in their stores, independent grocers have the ability to make quick decisions that can greatly impact their bottom line.Agility is an asset in every area of an independent grocer’s business, from implementing new technology like expiration date management software to launching a fresh marketing campaign, or even adding new inventory to their center store. They have the power to make decisions at a much faster rate than larger organizations, which gives them an advantage in a world that’s moving faster than it ever has before.While the scales of the retail industry may seem like they’re tipped in favor of those with the biggest share of voice, the independent grocer will actually have an advantage in 2020. To make the most of it, implement strategies that allow you to connect with your customers on an even deeper level, seek out ways to support and ingrain yourself in your communities even further, and lean in to making agile decisions in every area of your business. If you embrace the aspects of your business that make you unique in a world full of big box brands, you’ll be the one that comes out on top.