by Kevin Coupe
Today is National Supermarket Day, described in a bunch of press releases that I've received as "a National Day of Appreciation for our industry’s food retail employees, recognizing the essential role that grocery workers play at every level of the industry and across their communities."
Which is nice.
But, because I am by nature a wisenheimer, I'd like to do mark the occasion by suggesting that this is way too little.
If retailers don't think about their employees as being essential every day, then having a "day" won't do much, if anything, to create cultures of caring within their organizations.
"Essential" is word that was thrown around a lot in the early days of the pandemic. Not so much anymore, I think.
Essential-ness ought to be at the core of every food retailer's vision, strategy, tactics and employee relations efforts. Every day. Because the people on the front lines are way more important in terms of the customer experience than the folks at headquarters.
And if you are a retailer, you ought to ask yourself if, within your organization, this is true?
Ask the question. The answer may be an Eye-Opener.
