Don't look now but in addition to numerous stores in the Atlanta metro, Sprouts is opening up a new store in Franklin, TN just down the street from us. Unlike our dysfunctional organization, they are not stuck with an inefficient, half-baked crappy Windows 3.1-era database and ordering system that is implemented region by region. They are publicly traded, yes, but don't have two CEOs running around the country declaring their intent to change the world. They are not slaves to 12 isolated regional bureaucracies and dozens of unnecessary presidents, vice presidents, under-assistant vice presidents, left-handed regional coordinators, right-handed regional coordinators, and the endless gaggles of old girlfriends, old boyfriends, college buddies, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, associates of the royal family of Senegal, and various other hangers-on and do-nothings dragging down any hope of cohesive operations and intelligent planning. No, they are just quietly and efficiently kicking our ass with a simple marketing proposition: "Sprouts is the grocery shopping experience that makes healthy living easy and affordable. Our bright and cheery neighborhood grocery stores offer fresh, natural and organic foods and products at incredible prices." They have a great idea: Promotions "cross over" every Wednesday. So on Wednesday, the customer gets the prior week's promotional prices AND the next week's promotional prices too. And I just saw their flyer and unlike our promotions, theirs offer really huge savings on a wide variety of products including the highest quality natural and organic products. Yes they have their own brand of kale chips, coconut water, bulk foods, juices of every kind, you name it. Welcome to reality, John and Walter. You are so 1996 but 20 years have gone by and now several top competitors are ready to change YOUR world. And I love it.
7 replies (most recent on top)
1996 was a fun year.
It's difficult to be happy if you're not expanding, and sprouts is expanding
Before i left we still did double sales flyer wednesdays in sw...another inconsistency between regions i suppose
Yes, the biggest issue this company faces is its inability to cope with the reality of competition. Since the leaders of the company have been lying for many years about how we don't have competition (even though the competition has been stealing our business outright), the reality we see in our store now is a sad husk of What Was Once Great.
I'm coming from a store in the MA region. Just the other day we in the grocery team were told that we are no longer fulfilling special orders for customers. Just like that. Meaning, we're going to have to tell people who have been ordering stuff for years... and coming into our store to buy stuff based upon them getting these special orders, NO. Basically. So, yeah, we just drove away a HUGE chunk of our grocery sales just like that. And for what reason? It takes too much time??? So apparently, customer service now takes up too much time. No special orders for you anymore.
Well, as a customer and as a buyer I will tell you that these people will only go somewhere else to get their product. That means THEY WILL NO LONGER SUPPORT US WITH THEIR MONEY. If this doesn't stir any kind of SENSE OF URGENCY from management, then nothing will.
I do not get Sprouts, seriously - the whole concept is weird (to me at least) - I wish them all the best though
TJ is pretty impressive to me, and they are getting better and better - I would not mind working there
Well Said Ladies and Gents!!
In #wholefoodsmarket wisdom, west coast opened one WF next door to TJ. Who thought of that?