...|[pic] |Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and |Southwestern Ontario Development Fund | | |Employment |Business Stream Application | |Please read the Applicant Guide to the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) |Submit application and attachments via: | |Business Stream before completing this application. |Email : swodf@ontario.ca | |Visit our website or call the SWODF office at 1-800-265-4743. |OR mail: Southwestern Ontario Development Fund | |SWODF staff and OPS regional economic development staff are available to answer your |Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and | |questions. The staff contact list can be found on our website. |Employment | | |Exeter Road Complex, Lower Level | | |659 Exeter Rd. London ON N6E 1L3 ...
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...Technology: Self-checkout lanes hurting the economy and customer satisfaction During the 1900’s America was recognized as a national powerhouse with a strong economy that offered citizens careers and economic stability. Today, we are fighting unemployment and recovering from an unstable stock market. Although many factors have impacted the economy since then, one factor that goes unnoticed is the growth in technological advancements and how it is directly affecting employment rates and customer satisfaction. Machines used to be basic, and controlled by people, but since technology has progressed machines are now capable of performing jobs solely on their own. Police officers are being replaced by camera lights, cashiers by self-service checkout machines, and operators by automated voice recognition machines. Technology, more specifically self-checkout machines are directly affecting our economy; it’s eliminating jobs and leaves customers feeling unsatisfied. The problem with today’s technology is that it is self-reliant, such as the CHEC software program which runs all IBM self-checkout machines. IBM mentions on their website how it “Offers retailers a totally integrated self-checkout solution that can effectively manage and help lower total cost of ownership (TCO).” They are trying to appeal to managers that the total cost of operations will undeniably decline if you buy their product. Aside from lower total cost of operations these machines have their advantages and disadvantages...
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...Customer Requirements for Self Checkouts Variable Name | Description | Reference | Citation | Coupon | Coupon Friendly, registers can take manufacture and printed coupons (Reliability) | [1] | http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/commentary/why-self-checkout-lanes-dont-work | Fast | Customers want to be served quickly (Responsiveness) | [2] | http://blog.syracuse.com/storefront/2012/11/walmart_gets_cozy_again_with_s.html | Convenience | Convenience of self-checkouts customers, don’t have to wait in cashier operated checkout lines (Responsiveness) | [3] | http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/article/203013/Convenience-is-key-in-Walmart-s-plans-to-deploy-more-NCR-self-checkouts | Payment | Take multiple payment types such as credit cards, WIC, EBT, checks, gift cards, and cash (Reliability) | [4] | http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/supermarket-self-checkouts-being-replaced-with-people/ | Bagging | Customer can bring and use their own bags from home (Tangibles) | [5] | http://www.thekitchn.com/supermarket-survival-tips-for-131917 | Adaptable/flexible | Customers can use their devices to sync with store check-out device and shop faster | [6] | http://gothamist.com/2011/04/25/supermarket_self-checkout_yep_there.phphttp://www.nbcnews.com/id/43729757/ns/business-retail/t/welcome-valued-customer-more-self-checkouts/#.URIXs2dxlGo | Customer experience | Freed up employees can work in other areas providing better customer experience | [7] | http://www.nbcnews.c...
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...Sammy’s job as a19 year old boy is to check out groceries at the local grocery store called “A&P”, with his friend Stokesie, who is 22 and married with two kids. One afternoon, three young girls walk into the store barefoot and in their bathing suit. Sunny describes the first girl as “chunky, with the two piece..” (Updike 1110), and the second girl as one with “chubby berry-faces, with lips all bunched under her nose” (Updike 1110) and “the kind of girl other girls think is very striking and attractive” (Updike 1111). The third girl is the girl Sammy likes a lot and enjoys watching. She was not so tall and “was the queen” (Updike 1111). She wore her straps down off her bathing suit and had long prima-donna legs and pale skin. Her name was Queenie, so they referred to her as. She was always in the middle and leading the way with her two girl friends following her side. The two boys were so shocked that these three girls came into their store in their bathing suit because their store was five miles away from the beach in the middle of town. They enjoyed watching them walk up and down the aisle though comparing it to a “pinball machine, not knowing what aisle they would come out of” (Updike 1112). As the girls walked up to the checkout, their manager, Lengel, stops the girls and confronts them about their inappropriate attire and tells them next time to come in with their shoulders covered because it the store’s policy. The relationship of the boy, Sammy and his manager, Lengel...
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...to realize you have to make a trip to the grocery store. Crowded isles, long checkout lines, and the inability to find some items make even the smallest of grocery list a daunting task. New technology seeks to improve the consumer shopping experience making it as easy as walking in and walking out. Grocery stores date back as early as the 14th century when only bulk dry goods were sold. Shopping list were handed to a grocer behind the counter who would pick and package your items for you. That all changed in 1916 when a paradigm shift in the grocery store science occurred. Clarence Saunders opened the first Piggly Wiggly in Memphis Tennessee. This was the first self-service grocery store that allowed consumers to pick their own items and then be checked out. A lot of things have changed since the first Piggly Wiggly and the grocery store is growing more convenient every day. The grocery store of today has many modern conveniences such as digital coupons, customer loyalty cards, and even self-checkout. Many grocery stores today offer pre prepared meals for more convenience. Stores often utilize the one stop shopping mentality offering a wide variety of items from greeting cards and flowers to movies and clothing. The development of store brand goods has also helped consumers save money; in fact it is estimated to save American shoppers about $32 billion dollars annually. There are many changes coming to the grocery store in the near future. One new convenience...
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...Grocery Store Analysis We all go to the grocery store at some point through the month to get your groceries for the whole month, two weeks, week, or just to pick something up to prepare dinner tonight. Grocery shopping is a thorn in my side and do not enjoy it very well. There is one store that I actually despise tremendously, but we shop there because their prices are better than most other stores, and I do not have to go to 2 or 3 different stores for everything. The grocery store we are talking about is Wal-Mart. There are things that could be done for this experience to be more enjoyable and more efficient. The whole experience at Wal-Mart is a downer for me because they are always so busy and crowded. As I observed the way, Wal-Mart works during their busiest day of the week which is Saturday. As I walked the aisles, I found myself feeling as though I am stuck in five o’clock traffic on the highway. The aisles in the store seem narrow and on busy days they are packed so tight you cannot get through them. With the list I had it took me approximately one hour to get through shopping, and that does not include the checking out process. Overall I think a change to the width of the aisles would help the congestion throughout the store to help get people in and out. The second issue I found on my trip to Wal-Mart was the checkout lines on a Saturday morning are awful. The store has approximately 20 checkout lanes plus the self-checkout lanes...
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...to incredible success in Britain—were lost in translation. For example, the stores featured a huge portion of Fresh & Easy own-brand products, even though American shoppers are far more brand-conscious than their British counterparts. The shops also opened in cities where people drive, meaning the journey to a larger supermarket—with all the national brands and a wider selection—was in many cases only a few extra minutes down the road. She said Fresh & Easy stores are "too clinical," with too much automation, for American tastes. "They didn't have a very clear proposition," she said. "Are they a convenience store? Are they a discount store? Even without the economic turmoil, the gamble would have been a dangerous one. The U.S. grocery category is saturated with longstanding, homegrown names such as Wal-Mart, Costco, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Though some shoppers liked the concept of meals that were ready to eat with minimal preparation, there simply weren't enough buyers. In the American west, most shoppers drive to supermarkets — sometimes just once a week — and look for a broader range of products! Levinson said Fresh & Easy wasn't unique as a store, and Tesco didn't have time to experiment and work through glitches because of shareholder pressure. The company also underestimated the amount of attention needed to deal with the quickly changing American market, he said. The chain went with a small format, with stores that were a cross between a...
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...The Wonderful Safeway Shoppers One may think that there is nothing special about the people who come to a grocery store; everyone does it and is there anything that distinguishes one person from the next? Upon closer examination of the people who shop at Safeway it can be determined that there are three main classes of shoppers. The first type of shopper is the "First Timer" and can be distinguished by his lack of knowledge of the store and his confusion when it comes to the checkout process. The second type of customer is the "My Way or the Highway" customer and this customer is recognized by her control over every part of the shopping experience. The final type of Safeway shopper is the "Frequent Flyer" who is identified by the impressive amount of time he spends at the store and the level of intimacy he has with the employees. While it may seem difficult to differentiate between the types of shoppers at Safeway it can be seen that typically these shoppers fall into one of three distinct classes. The first type of shopper at Safeway is the "First Timer" and can be identified by their lack of knowledge of the store and checkout proces. A customer pulls into the parking lot of Safeway, this is his first time shopping without his mom but he has to learn to shop sometime. He walks through the sweltering parking lot and through the automatic doors. Immediately his head rolls up desperately searching for the items in each aisle. He glances down at the list in his hand and...
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...The Industry The grocery industry in the United States is currently an attractive industry (a.k.a. profitable). This attractiveness derives from the relative low threat of new entrants, low supplier and buyer powers, and low threat of substitutes. The main factors driving these results are the low concentration of suppliers and buyers, the significant barriers to entry due to high up-front investment costs (for infrastructure and distribution channels) and scale economies, low availability of substitutes, and the threat of retaliation from incumbents (by lowering price, for example). However, it is important to note that there is a heated rivalry among incumbents due to low seller concentration, high price sensitivity from consumers, dynamic price changes and strong exit barriers. Refer to Exhibit 1 for a detailed observation of the forces influencing the industry’s attractiveness. The industry offers opportunities and poses threats in several areas. In the economic environment, the rising oil prices increases costs in the supply chain and/or distribution channels. In contrast, the several free-trade agreements with different countries open the doors for a variety of products from abroad at potentially lower prices or higher quality. Also, the proliferation of high end and low end niches (in detriment of traditional supermarkets) is paving the way for small-footprint stores that cater to specific customers. Technology is playing a major role in the grocery industry with the...
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...costs and strategies related to a companies growth and expansion. Kroger is the main focus of this case. In 2006 Kroger’s was the second largest seller of groceries by revenue with an estimated $60 billion. The success of Kroger Company began in 1883 and which became one of the first chain stores in the country. Kroger then expanded its stores by buying out local competitors with low prices when the economy was suffering. Throughout the twentieth century, Kroger implemented several innovations to throw itself above the competitive advantage. By the 1950’s Kroger had built a reputation of producing fresh good quality products and began to label products with “sell by” dates and nutritional facts. Kroger took on multiple acquisitions helping push its expansion to the West. Under the full leadership of David Dillon Kroger increased revenue and lowered its debt dramatically and also found new ways to increase customer frequency. Kroger also sustained a four-month strike by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which impacted not just Kroger, but Safeway, and Albertson’s. Retail grocery sales represent a significant amount of the U.S. economy. The industry that Kroger competes in is highly competitive. This resulted in Kroger reducing its operating costs in order to maintain profitability and reduce debt. The grocery industry grew close in line with gross domestic products, and was considered to be a mature industry. For Kroger to maintain its stability in the market it...
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...Grocery Shopping Walking through a grocery store you can find all different sorts of people. There’s the people that only need a few things and use a basket accordingly, there’s the people that have a smaller list and are not expecting to buy a lot but somehow when they get to the check out their cart is overflowing, or there’s always the person with three carts generously filled. It is the people that fill the baskets, carts and occasionally their own arms that keep a grocery store in business. Because of this, most employees are extremely polite and helpful when it comes to the customers; but that does not stop the customers from being rude not only to each other but to employees as well. The customers who need only a few things are often the rudest shoppers. Normally this is due to the fact that they are in a hurry. It seems as though they think the whole grocery store revolves around them and their few items. They weave in and out of other shoppers and cut off an employee that is trying to help another customer. When these shoppers need help finding something they are often demanding, impatient, and just plain rude. They tap their foot while an employee tries to find what they are looking, and if the employee comes back with bad news such as: they no longer carry that item, they are currently out of that item, or even they never had that item, that’s when the adult who should be mature and understanding throws a tantrum fit. They yell at the employee and demand to...
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... have generally favored the one-line-per-register system. By 7 p.m. on a weeknight, the lines at each of the four Whole Foods stores in Manhattan can be 50 deep, but they zip along faster than most lines with 10 shoppers. Because people stand in the same line, waiting for a register to become available, there are no “slow” lines, delayed by a coupon-counting customer or languid cashier. And since Whole Foods charges premium prices for its organic fare, it can afford to staff dozens of registers, making the line move even faster. “No way,” is how Maggie Fitzgerald recalled her first reaction to the line at the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle. For weeks, Ms. Fitzgerald, 26, would not shop there alone, assigning a friend to fill a grocery cart while she stood in line. When she discovered the wait was about 4 minutes, rather than 20, she began shopping by herself, and found it faster than her old supermarket. “By now,” Ms. Fitzgerald said of those competitors, “you’d think everyone else would catch onto this.” The science of keeping lines moving, known as queue management, is a big deal to big business. Since arriving in 2001, Whole Foods...
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...The Publix Way Professor David Palmer MAN 2021-30 December 8, 2013 Publix Supermarkets has come a long way since Mr. George Jenkins opened his first store in Winter Haven, FL. in September, 1940. George Jenkins mortgaged an orange grove he had acquired during the Depression for a down payment on his dream store - Florida's first supermarket. He built his "food palace" of marble, glass and stucco, and equipped it with innovations never seen before in a grocery store. Air conditioning. Fluorescent lighting. Electric-eye doors. Frozen food cases. Piped-in music. Eight-foot-wide aisles. Open dairy cases designed to Mr. George's specifications. He offered on-site bakery and flowers. People traveled from miles to shop there, and Publix prospered. In 1945, with construction expansion constrained by wartime shortages, Publix purchased a chain of 19 small All American grocery stores. Today it is the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States with an approximately 165,000 associates and a retail sales of $27.5 billion in 2012. There are currently 1,080 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee. They have eight distribution centers and five manufacturing facilities. Publix has been recognized for eight consecutive years on the Fortune 500 list and is considered on of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to work for from 1998-2013. Publix is known for its philosophy of pleasing the customer; the Publix guarantee to never knowingly disappoint...
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...expresses that doing a heroic act doesn’t always get recognized. These three young teenage girls are only wearing their bathing when they walk into the grocery store where Sammy, a young boy working the checkout line watches these girls. He watches how they carry themselves. He also questions the reason they entered the store dressed the way they were. Sammy attention is to the most attractive girl in the group, who also seems to be the leader. This girl, Sammy calls “Queenie,” has confidence and beauty. The girls create attention in the store because of how there dressed. The store is in the center of town, nowhere near the beach which is why the way the girls are dressed gets the attention of other shoppers in the store. Because Sammy has worked so long at the A&P he gets bored and to entertain himself he has created a song that goes with the sounds of the cash register, he also expresses that he knows the story very well because he can recalls all of the items that are in the aisle that the three girls has entered. “All three of them went up the...
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...MARKETLINE.COM MARKETLINE. THIS PROFILE IS A LICENSED PRODUCT AND IS NOT TO BE PHOTOCOPIED TESCO PLC CASE STUDY © MARKETLINE THIS PROFILE IS A LICENSED PRODUCT AND IS NOT TO BE PHOTOCOPIED ML00001-041/Published 12/2011 Page | 1 OVERVIEW Catalyst Tesco is the largest retailer in the UK and dominates the UK food and grocery market, accounting for almost a third of all grocery sales. This case study examines the factors that have led to the growth of the company as the UK’s number one retailer. Summary In 1995, Tesco overtook Sainsbury’s to become the UK’s largest retailer. Since that time the company has grown from strength to strength, widening its lead year on year. The unrivaled success of the Tesco Clubcard in building customer knowledge and generating loyalty has been fundamental to the rise of Tesco. The company has created a powerful brand and a number of valuable sub-brands including store, product and service brands. Tesco’s grocery product brands tend to center around a three-tier branding system, allowing the company to appeal to a mass market. Tesco has been a forerunner in the price competitive environment of the UK food and grocery market, utilizing its economies of scale to lead price wars with other supermarkets. The company has grown inorganically, buying out various independent grocers and supermarket chains over the years. The wide range and sheer number of stores has been a significant factor in driving sales growth for the company. Tesco...
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