Kudler Fine Foods Problem Statement

Kudler Fine Foods Problem Statement

Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) is a chain of upscale specialty food stores in southern California. The concept of KFF was made a reality in 1998 when Kathy Kudler opened the first store in La Jolla. Two years later, KFF expanded with the opening of a second location in Del Mar, followed by a third location three short years later in Encinitas. The long-term vision of KFF is to become the premier gourmet grocery store for shoppers interested in purchasing the finest imported and domestic bakery, meats, produce, cheeses, and wines (University of Phoenix, 2008).

Problem at Hand

The process of identifying KFF’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats unveils many issues for the company, one of which is a small management team with a large amount of responsibilities (University of Phoenix, 2003). As they continue to grow and expand, the management configuration at KFF remains unchanged. Although a manager has been hired at each store, Kathy is still the primary administrator at all three locations. She manages all of the finances, purchasing, and inventory as well as marketing and personnel. If Kathy were to take any extended time off or become ill, no other employee possesses the ability to deal with major business issues, leaving KFF non-operative.

With the majority of her time going toward management positions at each location, Kathy has made herself inaccessible to customers. Contact with her customer base is essential for her to make effective business decisions based on the wants and needs of her customers. According to the 2009 Market Survey conducted by KFF, 34.78% of customers did not agree that a good selection of products were present at each store (University of Phoenix, 2009). If Kathy was available to hear her customers concerns and complaints, this number would be