E X P E RT O P I N I O N
SUPPORTING THE INDIVIDUAL RETAILER
Small individual retailers need a large partner to be able to withstand the growing pressure put on them by large retail chains. For the SPAR Group, having store owners who are part of and know their local communities is a great opportunity to develop a loyal customer base, says Tomasz Syller, Chief Executive Officer at Wasz Sklep SPAR INTERVIEW BY BEATA SOCHA
WBJ:
The SPAR Group has recently taken over the remaining Piotr i Paweł stores. What plans does SPAR Group have for the Polish market? Tomasz Syller: Following UOKiK’s positive decision on July 17, we began cooperation with the Piotr i Paweł team with a view to ensure we remain true to the legacy of the brand and retain the best of what Piotr i Paweł had to offer Polish consumers. We are now focused on building relationships with all our new partners in order to create the best possible offer for our customers. For example, we have already started the training process, making plans to upgrade existing shops, and in the coming weeks consumers will start to see a normalization of stock availability as we conclude our negotiations with suppliers and further extend the product offer. I’m sure our consumers will welcome the positive changes. SPAR as a model is extremely flexible and can cater for any market. We run a variety of different formats; from the small SPAR Express format, to the medium Spar, large Eurospar and the hypermarket type Interspar. One of the key elements of our success in the past has been the ability to customize our offering to the immediate community that our respective stores and formats serve. In almost every case the product offering will be common in some respects, while unique in others.
Polish economy and the opportunity for growth that it provides. I think that Poland will be one of the most exciting markets for the development of the SPAR brand. It is one of very few markets that still has a vibrant retail economy with an additional attraction; namely, that there is still a large number of independent retailers who trade and make a living in the country. What is more, the market is rapidly evolving with the entrance of many large retail chains. This is precisely the challenge that we have faced in many countries around the world, where major chains have become more dominant, putting pressure on smaller independent retailers who no longer have the power or support to compete with them. Unfortunately, the future of independent retail in Poland, without a large partner, will end up being the same as in the rest of the world. Individual retailers will gradually disappear as they become less and less competitive. It is this trend that we have stopped in close to 50 countries where we operate around the world, allowing the small independent retailer to act like a big player because they have the backing to do so. Without successful retailers we don’t have a business. It’s a very simple philosophy that works across the ten countries where The SPAR Group is present, and this is how we intend to operate in Poland.
Some retail brands have gone under in recent years. Where do you see the market headed in the future? We have a very positive outlook on the
What are your observations regarding Poles’ shopping habits? Are they in any way different from other European countries?
One key observation for me is the amount of shopping that gets done in terms of frequency and across many supermarket brands. This is both a challenge and an opportunity. It’s challenging in that loyalty to a single brand is rare, but an opportunity in that if you are able to create a comprehensive shopping solution which provides the best experience combined with competitive pricing, you should be able to create more loyalty to your store. We have the unique advantage in that our owners are part of their communities and have a far more in-depth knowledge of the people that support their stores. This is a great platform from which to develop loyal customers. Support your community and in turn they will support you. As opposed to corporate managers who earn a monthly salary, independent retailers run their businesses to look after their families and increase their own wealth as a result. This is the best motivator for a successful business, and also for creating an offer best suited to serve the needs of your customers.
Tomasz Syller, Chief Executive Officer at Wasz Sklep SPAR
W B J AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019
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