profile
Aiming for the best of both IT’S a busy Friday at Makro Glasgow but store general manager Michael McCrosson is happy to provide a guided tour. His presence on the shop floor allows him to help customers and support colleagues, while also serving to remind staff that his role is very much hands-on. “I wouldn’t ask anyone to do something I’m not prepared to do myself,” he says, “and I have really enjoyed getting to know our customers.”
Booker’s £140 million acquisition of Makro was given the green light by the Competition Commission in April 2013, almost a year after the deal was first announced, creating a wholesaler with sales of around £4.7 billion and a network of more than 200 branches. Booker is the largest cash & carry operator in Scotland, with 22 depots and over 1,000 employees. The company has 330 Premier retailers north of the border.
For Michael, the opportunity of taking on the long-established store at Hillington – it has been trading since 1978 – was one he couldn’t refuse. This is, after all, the man who jumped at the chance to head east to India to manage one of Booker’s branches in Mumbai – delegates at last year’s SWA conference will remember Michael’s fascinating story of his Indian adventure. And now he is overseeing the integration of the Makro branch into the Booker group. At 150,000 sq ft, Makro Glasgow is the largest of the three warehouses in Scotland: Aberdeen and Edinburgh are both 100,000 sq ft. Above: Michael McCrosson speaking at the SWA conference last year.
Below: Makro stocks 35,000 lines versus Booker’s 18,000 and boasts a huge non-food range.
Makro is, on many levels, a very different business to Booker. In addition to a comprehensive food portfolio, Makro offers a broad range of non-food items, such as stationery, office equipment, furniture, catering and cleaning equipment, clothing, general maintenance products, electrical appliances and seasonal goods. In total, it stocks 35,000 lines compared to Booker’s 18,000. “I’ve had time to understand the Makro business,” says Michael. “I had a two-month induction and travelled to various branches meeting key people and also spending time at Makro’s support centre in Eccles. I went through every department and that was really valuable. It’s only when you’re actually inside that you start to understand it.” In Glasgow, Michael has adopted a “back to basics” approach. Availability has increased, and the branch now has a more customer-friendly flow. Michael has also implemented Booker’s PRIDE strategy for improving the parking, reception, internal area, delivery and exit. “A large proportion of our customer base is made up of small business customers who use us for non-foods as well as food,” says Michael. Good examples of this are fresh fish and wine, which Makro does “exceptionally well”. Many high-profile Glasgow restaurants, in fact, use Makro. “Our B2B catering business here is strong and growing. We’re dealing with some very professional and switchedon business people. Our job is to ensure they get the choice, price and service they expect.” Michael adds: “We’ve been able to boost the Makro range by taking in some of the lines from Booker that work well there, so it all adds up to a great range and service for our customers.”
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scottish wholesale association
2014
www.scottishwholesale.co.uk