For readers unfamiliar with the geography of Australia, I serve retailers across regional Queensland – from Gladstone in Central Queensland to Emerald and Mount Isa in Western Queensland up to Cairns in Far North Queensland. That’s an area of 958,503 square kilometres or 51.7% of the land area of our fine state of Queensland.
But you don’t read my blogs for the geography I’m sure – this is story about successful retailing across a vast and challenging area. “Hah” you say, “Challenging … with that size trade area retailers would be raking it in!” Just remember that this same territory contains just 21.7% of Queensland’s population.
Providing goods and services to customers travelling to centres across vast distances is something that retailers in this part of the world take very, very seriously. If you haven’t heard we just had a little weather event called Tropical Cyclone Debbie up here. Visiting my customers in some of the worst effected areas I had an inspiring conversation with a store manager who’d just re-opened on generator power. I don’t have his permission to write this, so take a hint from the image above and imagine the apple being peeled …
JB : “How are things?”
Store Manager: “Really good now, we’ve been able to get in touch with all our staff, we’ve got a generator running the store and Head Office is giving us daily updates.”
JB : “Are your stock levels holding up?”
SM : “Look we are getting customers everything we can. [excitedly] I’ve just heard that ten pallets of water have landed in town and are on their way out here. We’ve been getting bits and pieces of stock from other stores and customers have been coming in a couple of times a day just to see what we can offer. Head Office is working really hard on it too, trucks are coming from North Queensland or via Emerald to re-supply us.”
[Last geography piece, I promise. Diverting trucks to Emerald adds about 25% in time and distance, many would find it just too hard but this guy was ECSTATIC that his company had gone to those lengths.]
JB : “Sounds great. How are the customers?”
SM : “Well they’ve done it really tough. No power, no water and no roads. Their houses or their work or their neighbours houses are damaged or destroyed. Now it’s stinking hot and they’ve got to clean up. I’ve had people come in with nothing and just break down in tears when they can buy some fresh fruit or some milk or something.”
[Yep, this young retailer’s efforts are triggering deep emotional responses over tins of baked beans.]
JB : “And how are you and your team holding up?”
SM : “Look I think we will all sleep well when the power is back on at home. Right now we are just working so hard to make sure we can offer our customers something, anything to keep them fed and maybe put a smile on their face. Mate, I got to go and find out about that water, thanks for checking in [exits].”
WOW!
Don’t tell me that passion is dead in retail. This retailer and their young representative are faced with challenges I can’t even contemplate. Yet they’ve elevated their passion and customer care to a level that is almost evangelical. They see their role not as stocking shelves or scanning stock, but as a key part of making their customers lives better.
Do you and your team go to work each day with such a clear vision in mind?