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This kind of central command and control, long out of favor in corporate America (not to mention the People's Republic of China), is now being de-emphasized. Castro-Wright, 52, is pushing executives out to where the stores are and bringing in local hires. The company has created five U.S. regions and staffed them as if they were independent $8 billion-to-$12 billion retailers. The Southeast regional headquarters is in Atlanta; the Midwest is run out of Chicago. Both regions are headed by locals, which will give the company more political clout in the sometimes contentious battles...
...Mart wants to tailor about 10% of each store's merchandise to the neighborhood--a long-unrealized goal. Given the company's appetite for goods, its buyers' primary focuses have been price and logistics: How do you get millions of 20-lb. (8 kg) bags of dog food delivered to 3,500 stores efficiently? They're good at that. They're not so good at figuring out what to do when shoppers in Dallas don't buy the giant bags of dog food that they've become so expert at supplying. What if doggie apparel is just as sellable...
...strategy tries to make that connection--editing for the area, offering a point of distinction. "It's going to tell the customer that we understand what they need," says Castro-Wright. "We not only understand what you need, we respect your point of view. We want to be your store of choice because we understand you better than anyone else in the marketplace...
There'll still be plenty of data-diving at the home office. A software program will evaluate merchandise selection in 4-ft. (1.2 m) shelf intervals every six weeks, factor in the demographics of the store's customers and spit out adjustments. One tantalizing opportunity: a smaller store, since the match between goods and shoppers' needs will be more precise...
...equipment, but customers need a little hand-holding before laying down $1,500 for a set. It's happening just as consumer-electronics giant Circuit City has laid off 9% of its sales force and replaced it with less experienced, less expensive hires. Wal-Mart says same-store sales were up 4.6% in electronics in the past quarter, besting both Best Buy and Circuit City...