A few comments/ feedback to the article "Do you have eggs"

Very Appropriate article. Inspite of all the marketing, promotion and planning .....like the "last mile" in telecom...the Retail Store Manager is amongst the most crucial player in the retail game and plays a critical role in making a particular store a success or a failure.
Sanjeev Agarwal
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I read it fully Rajesh. It was “ THE YOU “ in you telling – meaning it was like you are talking to people in that sense. It was great and the example you gave of 20 kg stuff goes into the mind straight.
On the whole ownership needs to driven at each end and by everybody instituted by the top mgmt. Great stuff thalai!
Umasanker
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A beautiful eye opener for the Retail chain openers
Keep up the job
Rgds
Ashima
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Dear Sir,
This is apropos the subject article in Brand Line (19th March 2009). The article is symptomatic of the malady it attempts to highlight and discuss. Organised retail in supermarket terms could loosely be said to have really started in India with the arrival of Foodworld in 1996. However, the problems of poor stock levels, customer service and manpower that we experienced then, remain now, whether in Foodworld or in any of its i-wanna-be-better-than-foodworld competitors. Does not that reflect poorly on the so-called retail professional groomed in those early pioneering organisations and now handling top management roles in today's retail companies?
Everyone knows what the problems are. It's just that no-one seems to have a solution for them, and each new company insists on re-inventing the error wheel and learning the mistakes from scratch!
Sincerely,
Rajeev Iyer
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Hi,
I read the article before I even read your mail. Found it excellent and a true picture of current retail scenario. Please keep writing more such articles. They can be finally compiled as a book.
Regards
Shashi
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Dear Mr Rajesh,
I enjoyed reading your article. Really lucid and plainspeak.
A few days back myself and my wife were waiting in the billing counter of a retail store. The person before us obviously had purchased a lot of things and had difficulty in carrying them home. She was asking the counter girl whether they could be delivered at her house. The girl replied that it would have been possible if she had asked for door delivery before preparing the bill and since the bill had already been prepared and paid she could do nothing about it. The lady walked away saying that she would have to find a better outlet who was more aligned to customer needs for her next purchase. Had the girl in the counter been more responsive to the requirement of the customer by talking to someone to help her out, then she could have helped the store retain a customer.
I just thought I will share this with you. Hope yourself and your family are fine. Our best wishes to you.
regards,
Kannan
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Hi Rajesh,
Ths is a great article... gives one a true picture.
I have also personally experienced a similar situation... the shopping list not getting completely over is a common phenomenon.
In fact, I can add one more thing - the quality of stock. Due to the lackaidaisical attitude, no one worries about quality.
Its high time the retail biggies wake up to the reality. Else, retail business will still remain with the kirana merchants..
Thanks for sharing the article.
Regards,
Hema Narayanan
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Excellent article Rajesh.
Nothing like a personal touch and feel.
Empowerment of store is a big factor for the success of XXXXX. It also leads to loss of revenue.
It is a nightmare for the finance team to control shrinkages (loss of revenues, not necessarily inventory loss) as the ownership is diversified.
A franchisee model (where the franchisee is on the shop floor) address this in a flaw in a major way were ownership is at the last level and at the same time ensure the franchisee to be in touch with the customer as this income is dependent on how well he runs is business.
Regards
Mohan
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Hello,
A very well written article. Am sure its one of the reads that folks at super marts need to better understand ground realities and mindsets of their regular clientele with a view to retain and grow that segment.
Best Regards,
Rahul
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hI,
Nice article. I agree with you on all the issues . Firstly the supply chain should be put in place (which has never happened in all the super markets ). I had personally suffered because of this . They should go for 3PL .. Surprisingly XXXXX has dismantled CFA and had gone for company managed warehouse. XXXXXX is beyond repair. XXXXXXX closed (for whatever reason) . Also , retail outlet has been opened as if there is no tomorrow (blame numbers for this..) and therefore like you rightly said instant baptism is happening with no focus on customer relation, loyalty to the store, conversion, smile and what not..The trainer comes , schedules the programme, goes to the next location for training because store is getting opened. He is busy claiming how busy he has become training people (with no actual input or training )..
In my opinion there has to be merger of mushrooming retail companies and close unhealthy competion ..like having three supermarkets of different brands in a single location ( egg not being available in single lcation !) .. I strongly feel that neither the so called big retails guys are making money nor they are making small kirana stores to make money for survival. My suggestion is that they should talk to traditional kirana (annachi or the Bhai ) train them , and give them the franchisee WITH MINIMUM INVESTMENT and no high fly stuff...else the overall loss will be Phenominal.
Gave my thoughts and your article kindled the same..
Cheers...Kdu