Strategic plan for a retailer
The CEO of a food distribution and retail business wanted help with a new strategic plan. The executive team had already done a lot of analysis and pre-work, but they needed a partner to help bring the elements (and the team) together and deliver a comprehensive plan to the board.
To use the executive team’s time efficiently, we worked with the CEO to craft an initial draft plan. We then designed three sessions to invite and incorporate team feedback and ultimately secure Board approval.
Like most retailers, this client was very focused on product assortment – believing that quality, variety, and uniqueness were the keys to customer satisfaction. As the leadership team discussed customer feedback, they realized service excellence was also an attribute of their stores and highly differentiated vs. competitors.
They had not intentionally built a service excellence culture and it was not particularly consistent. It just existed accidentally through many long-tenured, highly knowledgeable store employees who naturally connected with customers based on product passion and shared values. The client realized they could leverage a more systematic focus on recruiting, training, and retaining the right retail staff to make their service culture a consistent “intentional advantage” for growth.
Every strategic planning process has its breakthrough moments, but we loved this one especially because it was so customer-centric and because it was such a huge light-bulb moment for the leadership team. We have continued to help this client develop tracking and monitoring tools to make sure their execution is as strong as their plan.
Reach out if you need help with your strategic plan.