RESULT: Both chains had THREE different sets of stores... Stores that did...

                                                                         SALES INCREASE

 1) ONLY did the Store Opportunity Assessments...........0.9%

 2) Store Opportunity Assessments + Action Plans.........4.3%

 3) Store Opportunity Assessments + Action Plans + 

        Monitoring/Sustainability Effort............................6.7%

Stores in both chains that followed the attached Action Planning process performed over 3% BETTER than the stores that did not.  In fact, over 85% of the "Action Plan" stores experienced sales increases greater than their "Non-Action Plan" control group.
 
For food stores, a delta of 3% translates to an additional $13,500 of sales per week for each store ($702,000) in the first year. 
 
Stores that received follow-up support and reminders in addition to Action Planning experienced even greater sales increases = 5.8% greater than the control group.  And virtually ALL of these stores outperformed the control group stores.
 
This won't exactly pay off our National Debt - or even the amount of it we incurred in the last 30 seconds.  But to most people, it's a significant improvement.
 
Key to the Store Action Planning success: follow-thru in three critical phases ...
 
"BEST OF THE BEST": STORE ACTION PLAN PROCESS
 
I. Pre-Group Action Plan Meeting Preparation: Store Opportunity 

     Assessment (SOA) Distribution & Explanation to Store Teams

A. SOA Reports, Explanations & Action Plan Materials Distributed
     1. Traditional & Digital SOA Reports
     2. Interpretation Support & Action Generation Worksheets

          a. Meaningful...Why should I notice it?
          b. Understandable ... Easy answers to 3 Questions ...

               1) WHAT ... Does It Say?

               2) SO WHAT ... Does It Mean?

               3) NOW WHAT ... Do We Do?
          c. Believable ... Perception versus Reality
          d. Related to Performance ... Performance vs. Potential
 
B. SOA Information & Action Plan Explanations provided via...
     1. Web Portal ...  Stores access results, explanations
     2. Hot Spots on Digital Copy
     3. 800 Number for Questions
     4. Email Help

B. Group Setting & Composition
    1.  12 stores at a time 
    2.  6 people per store in attendance
    3.  3 Hours per Group; 3 Groups per day
 
C. People Needed: 
    1. Zone Managers
    2. Store Teams (6 per store)
    3. 3-Team Member Assignments: Team Leader-Scribe-Presenter
    4. Presenter / Action Plan Development Aides 

 

D. Action Plan Meeting Content (Sample)
    1. Big Picture...Share some of what the "Mucky Mucks" have
                  seen
    2. Local Picture...tied to Strategic Picture & Individual Depts.

        a. Share information directly related to key department: 
            1) Performance ... POS / Panel Evaluation
            2) Positioning vs. Competition for all potential shoppers
            3) Strengths, Weaknesses, Causes, Shopping

                   Driver Importance, Targets

        b. ID: High Yield Opportunities / Potential Areas of

                Concentration

    3. Action Plan & Idea Building Process Explanation/ Examples
        a. Presenters/Aides: Explain Solution Building Process
            1) Share examples that "Move the Needle"
                  a) ID: +'s & -'s of your department performance
                  b) ID: +'s & -'s of competition'
            2) Show How 1 Dept Can Impact Service, Value, etc.
            3) Ask for Team Input ... Opinions, Beliefs & Solutions
            4) Imitate & Innovate: 
                   a) Build From Best Ideas & 
                   b) Tailor to Culture & Strategy
            5) Provide Action Plan Guidelines & Forms

        b. Retail Action Planning Process
            1) Break Into Small Meaningful Groups
            2) Define Key Team Roles: Leader-Scribe-Presenter
            3) Give Problem Solving Guidelines
            4) Provide Idea Generation Examples & Solutions 
                  (Connect Company Strategy to Daily Action)
            5) Create Preliminary Team Action Plan 
                  a) Identify Barriers 
                  b) Set "S.M.A.R.T." Goals            

            6) Have Every Store Team Present Their Action 
                     Plan to Peer Group & Zone Manager
            7) Generate Comments/Suggestions on Improving 
                     Store Action Plans (Total Group Participation)
            8) Finalize Monitoring Methods: on a regular basis ... 
                  a) Measure Executional Excellence
                  b) Measure Impact

            
III. Post Action Plan Development, Sustainability Efforts &

A. Zone Manager:  Action Plan Reviewed with Sign-Off
 
B. Final Plans Submitted, Evaluated & Digitized

 

C. Quarterly Implementation & Sustainability Assessments

       Established
     1. Quarterly Automated Reminders & Creative Reminder Aids

     2. Scheduled Spot Reality Checks to Identify

             Implementation Level
     

     1. Store Performance Analysis:
         a) Performance vs. Potential ... POS / Panel Re-evaluation
         b) Positioning vs. Competition
         c) Sales (6 mos. to 1 year after implementation)
     2. Action Plan & Factor Impact Evaluation
     3. Rewards Administration

E. Determine Most Effective Action Plan Parts 
      (Build On & Disseminate for Next Cycle)

 

 

The survey link below contains questions that can allow you to identify how well your stores are creating an effective "Value" appeal to today's shoppers compared to some of the most successful value driven merchants. More importantly, your answers can help identify what areas you need to address to improve your Value Position at a time when doing so is critical.

 

Please take a few moments to answer these questions. As a follow up, we will share with you how your responses compare to some of the most successful Value Merchants & how these comparisons identify where your efforts need to be focused. We will treat your input with the utmost confidentiality - our reputation depends on it.

 

1) PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm goes off & the horn will continue to sound until you turn it off.
 
It's a security alarm system that you may already have & it requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from almost everywhere inside your house. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar won't stick around.