“How Wawa Became a Success.” Anthony R. Wood, Philadelphia Inquirer, April 16, 2009.
- “What they do particularly well is that they are very customer-focused. People are time starved.”
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As an industry expert Dr. George's insights and opinions are frequently sought...
“Catching Up to Whole Foods.” Nina Amir, Grocery Headquarters, March 2009
- “Whole Foods has been successful in attracting employees living the WF lifestyle.”
- “It is tremendous theater, but they’ve also got a good set of actors and actresses to play the parts.”
- “To the extent that retail grocers are partnering with national brands and coming up with their own unique store brands, they give shoppers more reason to frequent traditional supermarkets over Whole Foods.”
- “However, I’m not particularly impressed by what has been done in the fresh area, because it is just not a big enough footprint to make a difference.”
- “If shoppers don’t see the assortment in their tradtional supermarkets that they want in terms of natural and organic, they’ll go to Whole Foods to see if they have it.”
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RSS “Think Small: Retailers Known for Traditional Supermarkets are Downsizing Their Stores to Offer Shoppers Greater Convenience.” Ann Bagel Storck, MeatingPlace, January 2009.
- “We are time-starved. No one’s going to cook two hours a day anymore.”
- “I think there’s a tremendous opportunity right now. The question is, who is going to be poised to go after it?”
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RSS “Rough Seas: Can Supermarkets Successfully Navigate in Turbulent Economic Times.” Richard Turcsik, Grocery Headquarters, September 2008.
- “The key to the ‘big middle’ chains is to provide some value options for customers.”
- “It may mean taking a stand on the top 50 consumer products…things which can differentiate you in terms of strength in the market.”
- “Get rid of the soda on an end-cap for a month and put up the ingredients for a meal there – everything that you need for a good value meal that is easy to prepare.”
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RSS “Staying Focused.” Food Forum, Grocery Headquarters, June 2008.
- “In addition to technology, consumers are faced with issues like food safety, sustainability, health, wellness, and the obesity crisis.”
- “How do we delight today’s customers? Simple, solve their problems and make them feel good about themselves.”
- K-V-A-T (GH’s Independent Retailer of the Year) recognizes that while the customer, competition, and the environment continue to change, innovations based on delighting the customer will enable the chain not only to survive, but also to grow.”
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RSS “Kroger turns 125.” Richard Turcsik, Grocery Headquarters, April 2008.
- “Here it is 125 years since Barney Kroger started the company and they are still adding value by looking at customization as it fits a particular market.”
- “Kroger has recognized that unless there is a compelling reason to change the banner, that all retailing is local.”
- “As their private lable program has evolved, Kroger recognized that private label allows them to think like a brand and act like a retailer.
- “A lot of retailers still think that brands are those things that you put on the shelf. Kroger says we’re a brand, and the products on our shelves reflect that.”
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RSS “Will That Big Beef Recall Steer People to Veggies?” Alfred Lubrano, Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 2008.
- “You can get E. coli from lettuce. It is a larger issue than ‘Do I eat meat anymore?'”
- “Young people, who demonstrate a deep interest in ecology and the planet, may move toward making America a less meat-intensive culture.”
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RSS “Delighting Baby Boomers.” Food Forum, Grocery Headquarters, February 2008.
- “A very real opportunity presents itself to supermarket managers who want to improve the customer service experience for baby boomers.”
- “Cosmetic changes are not enough. Nor will a ‘one size fits all’ approach work.”
- “Supermarkets need to understand the specific needs of baby boomers and then develop their unique approach to customer service.”
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RSS “Separate Ways.” Nicole Spector, Grocery Headquarters, January 2008.
- “The middle of the road is no place for independent grocers trying to compete in a tough market.”
- “It is imperative that supermarkets get out of ‘no man’s land’ if they want to flourish and the key is to find a point of differentiation…discovering what makes them stand out and developing it from there.”
- “Retailers need to find the category that they can own.”
- “You can’t win against Wal-Mart in a price war, win in something else.”
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RSS “Give Up Tobacco? No Sale.” Karla Ward, Lexington Herald-Leader, January 14, 2008.
- “Wegmans is ahead of the curve in the supermarket industry in banning cigarette sales.”
- “Wegmans markets itself to upscale customers as a grocer that sells fresh, wholesome food, which dovetails nicely from a marketing perspective with the decision to eliminate cigarettes. However, don’t expect other supermarkets to follow suit, cigarettes are too profitable to remove.”
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by Richard J. George, Ph.D. (2021)
by Richard George & John Stanton