Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., is one of the premier grocery chains in the United States. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Wegmans operates over 70 stores, mainly in Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse. There are also a handful of stores elsewhere in New York State and in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The company employs over 45,000 people, and has annual sales of over $3 billion. Wegmans has a strong reputation for offering its customers high product quality and excellent service. Through a combination of market research, trial and error, and listening to its customers, Wegmans has evolved into a very successful organization. Its sales per square foot are 50 percent higher than the industry average.
Questions
1. How do customers judge the quality of a supermarket?
2. Indicate how and why each of these factors is important to the successful operation of a supermarket:
a. Customer satisfaction.
b. Forecasting.
c. Capacity planning.
d. Location.
e. Inventory management.
f. Layout of the store.
g. Scheduling.
3. What are some of the ways Wegmans uses technology to gain an edge over its competition?
