Retail Remedy

Driving Sustainable Profit Growth

February 1, 2011

Retailers need to improve Customer Service Training to improve Customer Retention

In the current financial climate many Retailers and Service Providers are looking to make cutbacks or increase revenues, usually at the expense of the customer.  One of the major cutbacks seems to be Customer Service Training, as Mary Portas has proved in her mission to bring good Customer Service back to the High Street.

When a customer interacts with your business face to face, phone, website or e mail are they merely satisfied or delighted by the service they receive?  Every interaction with a customer is an opportunity to make a difference and surprise the customer by not just meeting their needs but exceed their expectations.  Investing in Retail Training of staff has been proved to give better financial results.

Companies that invest in the development of their staff get good results, returning customers, motivated staff and a boost in new business due to word of mouth.  Retailers that recognise that good customer service increases profits take an advantage above their competitors who give poor service.

Shopping is one of the nation’s favourite pastimes however, when approached by a pushy Sales Person, being ignored or just being given the wrong information can become frustrating.  Many people do not complain because they feel that their voice will not be heard, they can’t be bothered with the hassle and the result being that they will not use that company again and tell everyone they know about the service they received hence losing more customers.  Businesses need to recognise that a complaint is the best form of feedback, giving an opportunity to turn a dissatisfied customer into a satisfied customer who will return due to the service they have received.

Many companies outsource their Training or Evaluations of their service to companies that have experienced Retail Consultants with a wealth of knowledge of working within the Retail sector.

James McGregor Managing Director of Retail Remedy Ltd explained the difference of in house training and outsourcing “In house training can be quite costly, many of the training staff have been promoted from within, not had the right training and have biased opinions of what is right and wrong with customer service” he went on to say “Working with a good Retail Consultancy; you are getting specialists who have many years of experience of working within Retail, they will be honest and forthright about how you can improve on your service to your customers, you will also cut costs whilst improving profits”

Customer Service is much more than just courtesy; it is about going that extra mile for your customer helping them find the right products, services that exceed their need and helping them to enjoy the experience of their purchase.

January 11, 2011

Objective Strategy

Of all the overused and misunderstood terms there is little doubt that Strategy is the most often quoted. Retail-Remedy has worked with some large retailers who surprisingly would not be able to articulate their Strategy but have merely fallen into the business path on which they tread. Red faces have followed questions about the direction and they only get redder when asked about the customer imperatives that have guided that direction. Yet in truth Strategy should be one of the easiest things to do in business, small businesses started usually in a response to a perceived need, understanding the continuance and evolution of that need is fundamentally what Retail Strategy is.

In a recent magazine article for Furniture News (Retail Strategy) we articulated the need to have Strategy agreed, with the key stakeholders taking responsibility to ensure that the picture painted of the goal is exactly the same for all concerned. Too often the goal is one persons dream and another person’s half dream or nightmare. For small businesses, without Non-Executive Directorship, this requires an objectivity that comes from a business consultant or trusted advisor. We suggest that this is an important choice as the person selected must be able to be objective, challenging and fearless. If they feel that gainsaying the perceived wisdom in the room will jeopardise their position, key arguments will be lost and the Strategy will evolve weaker.

When the Strategy word is used and you see your colleagues eyes roll to the back of their head and a flop sweat develop on the business leader, then look around the room and determine who will be the brave person who says the emperor has no clothes. If you cannot see that person and are willing to challenge why he is not there, then look no further he has been found, it is you !

June 6, 2010

Consumers and the Brand

After a retail strategy meeting, we sat Phil Dorrell down and asked him for his take on consumers’ focus on brand.

More and more, consumers look to the brand and its brand values for reassurance as to quality, security and value for money. Consumer spending will focus on ‘reason to buy’, not ‘impulse to buy’. The brand is the key element in the purchasing decision.

Brand awareness is desperately important but it’s not the whole story – in the States, everyone knows General Motors, trouble is no-one is buying their cars! Consumers are responding to brand differentiation – attaching meaning and value to the brand to increase its weight in the purchasing decision. Brands need to stand for something; they cannot afford to be vague in their offer. Developing brand differentiation is the key to improving long-term sales growth and customer advocacy.

So, Phil, how do we achieve brand differentiation?

The landscape for any brand tends to be misted over with a cloud of generic features claimed and owned by all players. To rise above this cloud means convincing the consumer that you are different from the crowd, that your offering is the one to meet their requirement or their hopes.

You can’t just add statements of value to your marketing – if you make any statement about your offering, they have to be believable and authentic. Consumers are becoming ever more sophisticated and see through insincere claims and inappropriate endorsements. Any retail strategy has to be built on recognising that consumer engagement only comes with authenticity – and engagement is the key to sales. Brand building is a precious endeavour and Companies need to ensure that nobody in the organisation delivers less than the brand values, consistent delivery is essential.

If that’s the case, how do we deliver ‘authenticity’?

Do you mean ‘we’ as in retailers or retail consultants? Be specific about what you deliver and make sure all the people in your organisation support this 100%. The amount of web-sites now offering no differentiation between one retailer and another suggest everybody is playing too safe and there is definitely space for some bolder claims.

New technology is now not only the product, it is the medium as well! The online experience is less and less under the control of retailers or corporations, the market now exists as a series of communities. Social networking, Ebay, business networks all present massive opportunities – especially if you can gain endorsement from the community itself, recommending the brand. Ignoring or misusing these markets and the way they operate cuts off the blood supply to the brand. Twitter users will spend more money on the internet than non-users. We (now I really mean retail consultants!) need to show retailers how to integrate this customer orientation into every aspect of brand building and customer care – then we can strengthen and lead brands into the future.

So, how should Retail Marketeers respond to these challenges?

Retailers need to deliver on three main areas in order to capitalise on the changes that the internet offers:

  • How clear is the brand differentiation and how consistent is this delivered? What is the brand promise?
  • What platform is most effective to your current and future customers?
  • How does the brand promise get delivered in the real world and what is the buy-in from the front line customer service staff?

I would urge retailers to be bold, get buy-in and build a brand that stands out to your customers!

May 2, 2010

Phil Dorrell joins Retail-Remedy as Lead Retail Consultant for Branding and Marketing.

Retail-Remedy Ltd today confirmed that Phil Dorrell has joined the team as Lead Retail Consultant for Branding and Marketing. The role hands Phil a wide remit within the business – including, supporting a number of the businesses key clients with their UK and International branding objectives.

The appointment, confirmed that a significant part of Phil’s role would be to ensure the continued development of Retail-Remedy’s service portfolio across all geographies. Phil Dorrell said: “I am delighted to be joining Retail-Remedy”…. “It is exciting to be with a company that is focused on supporting retailers deliver profit growth and enhanced consumer shopping experiences”.

James McGregor, of Retail-Remedy, said: “I am pleased to welcome Phil on board. His extensive experience, in Marketing, Branding and Retail Operations, is exactly suited to our current client requirements and will help us deliver, at pace, even greater profit returns for our clients going forward”.

About Phil Dorrell

Phil Dorrellhas over 30 years retail experience working in the UK for Safeway and Asda. Phil’s previous roles include Head of In-store Experience, Head of Marketing Operations and Head of Food Marketing Operations at Asda/ Wal-Mart.  Phil’s diverse experience gives him a clear perspective on store operations, branding and marketing. Having helped Asda become the best value retailer in the UK he is keen to pass on his expertise to help other retailers grow sales profitably.

About Retail-Remedy Ltd

Retail-Remedy Ltd specialises in operational improvement for the retail sector.  The business focuses on all elements of operational change including; Store Planning, Category Management, Branding and Marketing, retail execution, service and bespoke training. The teams exposure covers programme delivery in EMEA, NCSA, APAC and India. Visit www.retail-remedy.com.

September 13, 2009

India’s retail issues ….. An interview with the CEO of Costa Coffee India – published in this months RLI

India’s food and grocery retail infancy has not been without it’s teething problems. James McGregor, Director or Retail-Remedy interviews Santhosh Uni, CEO of Costa Coffee (INDIA), to find out more…

costa-interview3

June 8, 2009

Is cost and price reduction the only way to survive within a recession?

Most retailers (who are still trading) have responded to the recession through cost reduction and margin improvement programmes, which, as a retail improvement consultancy we applaud, albeit with caveats.




As consumers become more restrictive on what and how they spend.  Retailers, who invest in their brand through a recessionary period, have the opportunity to profit whilst others fail.  It has been proved time and again that a strong brand is the most important asset a company has when recession strikes.  In fact, retailers with strong brands can profit from recessions, as lesser companies turn inwards and fail to spend.


Look at Intel!  Intel’s famous campaign, using the ‘Intel Inside’ slogan and labelling, began in July, 1991, right in the middle of the recession. That did more for Intel’s branding than any single campaign before or since. They weren’t the only ones, and success at that time came to those with the balls and the acumen to do it. The same will be true of this current recession.


Harvard Business School professor John Quelch, writing in The Financial Times, says: “Instead of cutting the market research budget, you need to know more than ever how consumers are redefining value and responding to the recession.” Quelch also points out: “It is well documented that brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.”


When it comes to branding through the downturn the key to success is in maintaining focus;


1. Continue to deliver a positive brand image within your sector

2. Maintain or increase your brand visibility within the market place

3. Communicate brand stability to your existing audience

4. What are the opportunities to share your risk with brand partners


The following points may be obvious to most retailers, but reflecting on them is always of value;


1. What are your customers looking at your brand to deliver for them at this specific point in time?

2. What is your completion doing and are you in a position to anticipate what they will do next?

3. What emphasise are you placing on your core proposition and its value to your customer?

4. Are you maintaining the quality of your products and services?

5. Are you keeping your customer base engaged


We all need to make the most of every dollar spent in supporting our brand through this challenging period, but also have to consider that without effectively communication we simply become another brand on another shelf!