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FMI EXECS: WORK HARDER TO MEET CONSUMER NEEDS

CHICAGO -- Food retailers need to spend time learning about the needs of the consumers in individual markets, and then tailoring their operations to meet those specific needs, said Liz Minyard, co-chairman and co-chief executive officer, Minyard Food Stores, Dallas, and the new chairman of Food Marketing Institute, during a presentation with the outgoing FMI chairman at the association's annual conference

CHICAGO -- Food retailers need to spend time learning about the needs of the consumers in individual markets, and then tailoring their operations to meet those specific needs, said Liz Minyard, co-chairman and co-chief executive officer, Minyard Food Stores, Dallas, and the new chairman of Food Marketing Institute, during a presentation with the outgoing FMI chairman at the association's annual conference here last week.

"We look for opportunities to niche, to target our supermarkets to individual markets," said Minyard, citing the company's Carnival banner, which seeks to serve Hispanic consumers.

She said the company "made a few mistakes in the beginning" with language and product issues, but has since found the stores to be effective for reaching that growing segment of the population.

"We try to look at each neighborhood individually, and look at what types of products we need to have in each type of store," she said.

She said Minyard also is "looking for more opportunities to bring customers in," using such added services as gas stations. The company now has 16 fuel centers at its supermarkets.

Ron Pearson, chairman and CEO, Hy-Vee Food Stores, West Des Moines, Iowa, who will now serve as immediate past chair of FMI, agreed that the industry needs to expend more effort in trying to meet consumer needs.

"You have to spend a lot of energy focusing on consumer lifestyles," he said. "What does the customer really want? It's important for us to find the things that the customer really wants to buy, and that requires more energy and more work."

He identified five areas that supermarket operators need to focus on "if you're going to survive."

Finding the right products to meet the needs of lower-income customers.

Pharmacy and health-related products and services.

Providing appropriate levels of salary and benefits -- "You can't take care of customers without satisfied employees," he said.

Giving individual store managers more autonomy.

Finding ways to treat the consumer better.