Tuesday, May 26, 2009

BLISS!!!

What is bliss in my business! Some might say as long as Mr. Whipple doesn't have anyone squeezing the Charmin or that he has on a clean apron....life in the grocery business is bliss!!
WRONG!
Our business has changed so much in the 30 years I have been in it. I remember the days when we had to change 2000-3000 prices by hand on a Saturday night. I remember the days when we had to take a catalog about 6" thick up and down each aisle and manually enter our case orders. I remember when we made donuts, pizzas, cakes, and pastries from scratch each day.
So what has changed???
Computer programs do much of the technical work, ie: ordering exact quantities of product based on exact sales of same product, scheduling the exact number of manhours by exact task down to the expected second of completion, with one keystroke on a keyboard changing the price of one item or all 44,000 items, etc., etc.. So, what in the world do you need me for?? Bliss in my job is effectively and efficiently leading 144 associates in accomplishing $36 million in annual sales generating over $3 million in annual profits while serving over 30,000 customers a week in a 56,000 sq. foot facility that cost the Company $8 million to construct.

It is so easy a trained monkey could do it!
Yeah...right!

"Hey, please don't squeeze the Charmin."