Supervalu Acquires Associated Grocers
By Joel Albrizio, President, Adlife Marketing & Communications
"Supervalu"...More Questions Than Answers Especially After The Acquisition Of Associated Grocers
Supervalu has the reputation as a company with programs. From detailed software to retail sales building programs Supervalu has been know as the grocery retail support wholesaler with a program for everything.
Today's retail food world is a complex marketplace where one size will never fit all, or even close.
Supervalu is a company that essentially had and seemingly still has an attitude that off the shelf programs will not only solve most retailers sales initiatives but keep the Supervalu mother ship profitable and growing.
Wake up call after wake up call for Supervalu have brought the mothership back to reality including bankruptcy protection some time ago.
Now after divesting many of the profitable Supervalu retail tentacles like Save-A-Lot, Supervalu is perhaps back to somewhat humble beginnings.
Most recently Blackwells Capital a major activist Supervalu investor is calling for the sale of at least one third of the grocery wholesalers retail holdings.
"The Wall Street Journal & CNBC Quote Blackwells Capital As Frustrated With Supervalu"
Blackwells Capital contacted the Supervalu boardto push for a better price to earnings ratio from its large investment.
Blackwell Capital through its board of director influence will attempt to force Supervalu to sell holdings such as Cub Foods in Minnesota, Shop N' Save in St. Louis.
The very retail brands that are the hallmark locations for a grocery wholesaler relying on retail holdings to bolster wholesale grocery top line sales.
To the outsider reviewing Supervalu performance from afar it is obvious the program driven retailer may not have the right programs. or perhaps Supervalu relies to much on standardized programs.
Bound to a program for every retail location opportunity has this company lost the ability to search for real more individualized retail solutions?
Supervalu has the resemblance of a huge army in a world now in need of special ops. Retail solutions to build retail food sales will not be found in anything built for one size fits all. Programs certainly not in the off the shelf category.
Every retail food option available to the consumer today is changing before our eyes. Anyone can run a great company during easy times when its brand it king. Only a unique management team can operate a retail food company in a crisis.
"Supervalu Is Now In A Crisis Management Environment"
We believe unique ideas, individual to the retailer and his or her competition will succeed for companies like Supervalu. As an industry we might try to get back to ideas and bring excitement back to retail food.
Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad Adz, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.
Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. Many thanks to Sharon Albrizio for her help with this article.
Joel Albrizio, President of PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Bad Adz
Follow Me On Twitter @joelalbrizio or right here on LinkedIn!
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