Business Analysis & Strategy

For a number of engagements, the challenge was to help the client reposition themselves in an effort to drive profitable growth by strengthening the relationship with their existing customer. These projects took vastly different forms ranging from strategic investigation of customer behavior for solidly performing clients to new concept development and testing. On several occasions, these engagements involved eleventh hour efforts to develop revised positioning to avert Chapter 11 or Chapter 7 for clients facing serious difficulties or extinction. Sample engagements include:

• For a large, grocery/general merchandise division of a major regional grocery retailer, managed the project team through several stages of activity including:
  
  • Initial research to develop service/retail concept alternatives to replace unproductive merchandise categories and occupy significant square footage, including financial business case in support of concepts
    
  • Transforming accepted concepts into business plans by concept and category. Developing entire timeline, workplan and pilot strategy.
    
  • Guiding and working with merchant and distribution staff and third party design firm to define new concept 'look and feel', develop merchandise assortments, build assortment plans, document activities and present to senior management for approvals.
    
  • Working with all parties to establish and set up pilot locations and pilot performance measurement goals.
• For a national big box, home improvement retailer, participated in a major strategic business assessment in which the client sought recommendations for improvement across many operating functions including merchandising, distribution, finance, HQ activities, etc. Analyzed customer spending patterns including purchase frequency, cross-shopping behavior, strong and weak performing stores, prioritized opportunities and quantified potential payback for client.
• For a national modular home manufacturer/retailer, helped develop strategic retail positioning recommendations based on extensive customer segmentation and competitive analysis.
• For a small commercial/retail home improvement chain, assisted in developing revised assortment, merchandising and marketing recommendations for the flagship retail location. Assisted in defining and establishing the pilot and identifying performance measurement goals.
• Acted as retail subject matter expert in several Business Consolidation/Chapter 11 situations for small regional discounters including recommendations for business plan revisions, modified merchandising and marketing strategies, inventory management opportunities, changes in advertising processes, disposition of unprofitable stores. Coached management regarding business plan content and participated in presentations to creditors' committees.

  In one circumstance led the repositioning of the merchandise mix including advising on model store implementation. Also evaluated advertising agency performance and restructured advertising planning process. Achieved immediate results with a 7 percentage point increase in soft lines penetration and an 11% sales improvement over the YTD trend in the model store in the first 5 weeks.