Company Blog

What do you sell?

by Adam Zack — August 7, 2024

We are actually in the people business.

My wife is always on the lookout for blog topics for me. Last week she told me about this one she came across.

Sell emotions, not services

McDonald’s doesn’t see hamburgers, they sell happiness

Ferrari doesn’t see cars, they sell status

Amazon doesn’t sell goods, they sell convenience

Disney doesn’t sell rides, they sell memories

Nike doesn’t sell shoes, they sell motivation

Apple doesn’t sell computers, they sell trends

And then she said, “You don’t sell groceries, you sell community.” And she was right on. The Vision Statement for our Jensen’s San Diego store is: “Working together to nourish our community, our families and each other.” I realized a long time ago that customers can go anywhere for groceries, but that can’t go anywhere for that feeling of community, friendship and caring that we work hard to curate. I’ve done some community public speaking in the past and I always explain that while we sell food, we are actually in the people business. Our employees, our vendors and our customers are our first focus, not cereal variety and grocery selection. Food is what brings people through your front doors, but the sense of community is what you provide that the large chain stores don’t.