Company Blog

It is what it is

by Adam Zack — March 2, 2022

“You just lost a customer due to consistent mediocrity.”

Several years back I worked with a guy who frequently said “It is what it is.” It always kind of bugged me the way he said it, as it implied “Those idiots running the company are going to do what they want, and there’s nothing I can do about it, so I am resigned to just passively make generalized, broad comments about my inability to affect any type of positive change.” And since I was one of those idiots running the company, I took some offense to it. It’s a pretty stupid comment anyway. Of course it is what it is. That’s the definition of it. It IS what IT is. It’s NOT what IT is not.” Duh. It made me think of a much more meaningful, actionable and thoughtful saying: “If we keep on doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep on getting what we’re getting.” Yes there is the need for consistency in most of our procedures, services and operations. Consistency in producing uniform quality. Consistency on operations that positively differentiate you from competition. Consistency of marketing and conveying your brand message. But consistency of mediocre quality and so-so operations and products results in consistent mediocrity. And y...

by Adam Zack — February 23, 2022

It’s harder than ever to attract and retain quality employees.

The surge in grocery buying as we have slogged through the pandemic for the last two years has helped the grocery industry financially. We have paid for it with stress, added expense and higher labor costs. Nonetheless, many stores that were marginally profitable, or even losers who were on the cusp of closing, have been able to maintain good profitability and stay in business. It was predicted in 2018 that 30% of independent, conventional grocery stores would close within 5-10 years. 30%!!! So what are the stores doing with their new abundant cash? Some owners are keeping it for themselves, justifying that they have lost money or been barely profitable for the last several years. Some with a longer vision see the opportunity to retain the new customers by remodeling and updating their tired stores with new offerings and fixtures. Some paid off debt. The smartest ones see the new profits as an opportunity to invest, and the really smart ones are investing it in their employees. New bonus program incentives, and what I think is more important, education and training. It’s harder than ever to attract and retain quality employees, but when they see that ...

by Adam Zack — February 16, 2022

“Those wines are terrible!” whines the wine clerk snob.

I was talking to this guy who is a grocery manager today and I told him that I found a distributor who would supply him with these tortilla chips that I thought would really sell. He said “But I thought you didn’t like those chips. They changed the type of tortilla they use for them.” I said “Hey guy, it’s true that I don’t like them.” (and I really used to until they changed recipes), “But it’s not about what I like, it’s what the customer wants.” Sounds pretty damn wise and insightful, doesn’t it? Nothing to make you feel old like being wise. Anyway, it struck me that so many of our business decisions are based on what we like, and not what might best suit the needs of the customer. Wine guys are notorious for it. “I don’t like buttery chardonnays.” So no displays are built around buttery Chardonnays, even though it’s the most popular style, and most consumers are not into the “no-oak, minerally” chardonnays. They want something that is like the profile of their Kendall Jackson or Rombauer. It’s good business. But “Those wines are terrible!” whines the wine clerk snob. “I want to educate them on something better!...

by Adam Zack — February 9, 2022

True regret is a negative emotion.

“I hate regrets more than apologies”― Fat Mike, NOFX I was standing at the airport last night waiting for my wife to come out of the bathroom and was looking at the books at the airport store – you know the one that sells magazines, books, candy, snacks, etc. – and on display was a book that caught my attention called The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink. My first thought was how much a guy with the last name Pink got teased in school. My second thought was that my philosophy has always been the opposite of thinking of regret as a power. To me, regret was always “shoulda, coulda, woulda”. It spoke of action (or inaction). It put the focus on the past, which was something you can never change. Dwelling in the past distracts you from the present, and the future. Yeah, it was something you could learn from and not make the same mistakes again, but true regret is a negative emotion. It’s like saying “I wish I would have bought land out here back in 1990 because it’s worth a fortune today” or “I wish I ...

by Adam Zack — February 2, 2022

As leaders, we need to embrace failure like we do success.

New items, campaigns, programs and initiatives are the keys to growth in our grocery business. To be successful they need great planning, thorough communication, coordinated execution and the patience for it to get established and grow some roots. It’s not easy and it’s not inexpensive. Too often a great product is just put on the shelf or in the case with little or no signage, story telling or promotion. No one is surprised when 30 days later very few have sold, or it goes out of code and like that, it’s buh-bye, never to be seen again. If only someone had loved and nurtured it, it could have been rookie of the year, or at least been an alternate on the all-star team. But that’s not what this is about. Let’s assume that we do all the right things. We like the product, promote it, tell it’s story and to our surprise it still just sits there. It doesn’t resonate with the customer and we start feeling bad for it. It’s a failure. The shame. As leaders, we need to embrace failure like we do success. Well over 50% of the new items and programs we try won’t be around next year. And that’s OK, because failure, when executed well, is the result of...

by Adam Zack — January 26, 2022

Good weird isn’t creepy or gross.

Weird: of strange or extraordinary character: ODD, FANTASTICI love weird. Weird is unique, interesting, funny, quirky, different. I have two daughters that have pretty much called me weird from the time they could talk. I think it was in the top 10 first words. I’m sure that when I was feeding Holly as an infant, and gave the dog a taste of her baby food, then back to her, she was thinking “This is weird. I share food with the dog?” Being a weirdo is a badge of pride to me. I don’t want to be the boring old dad that just acts like every other dad. I don’t want to be the brother, son or husband that is predictable, with no spikes on the radar. Weird is fun, and I search out products (like our new Bacon Flavor Lip Balm, and Mac & Cheese flavored Candy Canes) that will leave an impression on people. It’s a great opportunity for independent retailers to do something that will get people talkin...

by Adam Zack — January 19, 2022

“Good idea” is kind of a reflective response.

“Never save a good idea. Do it!”
– Denis O’DellDenis O’Dell was a film producer who worked on The Beatles “A Hard Day’s Night”, Magical Mystery Tour and the footage for what eventually became the new Beatles documentary release “Get Back”. The footage he captured showing the collaborative process between the four band members is mesmerizing when you reflect on how many great songs they produced and how they just stem from an idea that one of them had. (It also shows just how close Yoko Ono sat to John Lennon always. Ever hear of personal space, Yoko?!)
So as I watched the creative process for what became the album Let It Be, the quote from Denis telling them not to sit on a good idea made an impact. The dialogue went something like one of the Beatles saying “That’s a good idea, we should save it.” How many times do we say to people (or people say to us): Good idea! And how many times does the good idea get saved, eventually never seeing the light of day? So here’s one of my 2022 goals: Say “good idea” only when it’s actually a good idea that makes sense and is achievable. Then make a plan to act on it. “Good idea” is kind of a reflective respon...

by Adam Zack — January 12, 2022

Listening is another word for giving your attention to someone.

“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”― Simone WeilI saw this quote this week and it grabbed my attention and got me thinking. We talk constantly (although not incessantly, as that term seems tedious and nagging) about how important and difficult it is to really listen. To listen closely, pay attention and not jump forward to your anticipated response or conclusion of what the person is telling you. So when I saw this quote (in the movie The Lost Daughter) I was moved enough to think that listening is another word for giving your attention to someone. Your full attention without distractions, without multitasking and with full eye contact. People are constantly seeking your attention. Kids, employees, salespeople, advertisers – pretty much everyone wants your attention. It’s coveted and valuable. Giving that attention, especially since it is a limited commodity, is a gift you give others. Not that any of us are some almighty important ruler that doles out our attention by the spoonful as if we are some kind of aristocrat. Our attention is...

by Adam Zack — January 5, 2022

The easiest job in the world is the Amateur Critic.

The easiest job in the world is the Amateur Critic. You know the guy who goes into a restaurant and complains that his water is too cold or that the music’s too loud. He bitches about not enough (or too much) dressing on the salad and that the grill marks on the steak should be perpendicular to the grain of the meat and not parallel. They are frequent Yelpers and feel superior sharing their “experiences”. These types of people next lead into “If this were my restaurant, things would be different around here.” And sometimes the rich ones actually DO buy the restaurant or start their own with the intentions to offer just the right temperature water and perfect amount of dressing with 90 degree parallel grill marks on the steak. They soon find out that there are about 1000 other things that are more important that they didn’t consider and before you know it, there’s an available restaurant space on the market and they have a big tax write off. It’s very similar with food stores. The deli salads have spilled over, the bread section is wiped and for God’s sake why are there only 3 rotisserie chickens in the warmer? The wastebasket in the men’s room is...

by Adam Zack — December 29, 2021

2021 was a very strange year.

It’s the time of year for those New Year’s resolutions. Lose weight, exercise more, drink less, call mom more often, etcetera, etcetera. I was thinking about it because someone asked me what my New Year’s resolutions are going to be. The more I thought about it, the more I decided that instead of resolving to do something, I should instead reflect on what I did right, what I did wrong, and what I learned in 2021. I think about personal relationships, work associations, personal health and happiness and family ties. What did I accomplish that made others (and me in turn) happy and fulfilled? Resolve to keep doing them. What did I do that I regret? Resolve not to do them again. What should I have done differently? Do it differently. 2021 was a very strange year, with new challenges and old responsibilities presenting themselves daily. I’m going to take a long look in my 2021 rearview mirror and focus on the good images I see reflected.