As The Rotisserie Turns

We all understand labor as one of the key issues in managing the deli. The cost of labor becomes a significant portion of the cost of sales, and in the cost competitive environment in which we all operate, that means there is never enough labor available. And even with the hours that retailers do have to work within their budget for staffing their delis, attracting and retaining quality people is a major challenge. High turnover obviously leads to poorer store-level execution, and that obviously leads to lower sales and lower customer satisfaction–and almost surely to lower shopper loyalty.

What's the number one most important attribute impacting purchase intent in deli?

Freshness.

What does "freshness" mean? Three of the top five most important indicators of "freshness" in a supermarket deli have to do with the cleanliness of the store environment and the appearance and performance of the store associates.

Yeah, well, we all knew this was a big problem.

Add more labor? Sure we will. Next?

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Tyson Deli Guy.