PARTING WORDS

Powered by Excellence

Along time ago on my 16th birthday, I borrowed my grandfather’s car to take my driver’s license road test. The only difficult task was the parallel parking, which was required back then. I passed, and my reward for the next three years was getting to drive my grandmother to The Kroger on Saturday morning. That is how we referred to it—“The Kroger.” It was a supermarket unlike the local, neighborhood private grocers. Those Saturdays were a special treat and special memory.

Fast forward a lot of years and I found myself recently in the home office of The Kroger Co. in downtown Cincinnati. And it still is a special treat and special memory. That visit was to hear Karl Langhorst and his staff discuss the changes in LP at Kroger over the past six years. I encourage you to read the article on page 31 and only hope that we were able to communicate Kroger’s commitment to excellence, quality, and team work.

We listened all day as the staff members talked in a straightforward and relaxed tone about how their pieces fit in with the others to make the whole of the LP function. From the operations managers to the technology manager to ORC, finance, and exception management. The day also included a store visit with district and divisional managers. With each functional presentation we could feel the pride of their contribution.

I say all of this because it was obvious to me that trust breeds confidence and quality of work breeds success. If you ever have a chance to sit and speak with any of the LP management team at Kroger, you should ask, “How so?” In fact, you should go out of your way to have this conversation.

In our March-April issue, we will continue bringing you an insiders’ view of quality LP programs when we will feature the Lowe’s experience. We recently met with Claude Verville to have him tell us what was happening in LP and safety at Lowe’s. After thirty minutes, he took a breath and paused. His excitement and enthusiasm is driven by the mission of the company to make the “customer first” in every decision made by every functional group. His LP organization is right on board with that objective with daily commitment to customer and associate safety that puts a premium on an accident-free workplace—the ultimate positive customer experience. We think you will be impressed when you read about Lowe’s.

As evidenced by both Kroger and Lowe’s, this level of quality, team work, and commitment to excellence is what we as an industry should strive for every day. It’s a moving target; a goal that is dynamic and ever-shifting. As the primary news and information source servicing this great industry, it’s what we, too, ground ourselves in. Connecting and informing the industry on what is relevant, meaningful, and quality. Plus, being dynamic enough to expand and grow in a way that enhances our customers’ experience—you, the LP professional.

This year we have not been short on exciting, new initiatives that are meant to drive our industry forward and establish more ways to connect, educate, and elevate our industry. It’s an initiative internally we’ve called “Powered by LP Magazine.” Whether it’s the launch of our news app or adapting our communications tools for creating internal digital magazines for retailers, the idea of “Powered by LP Magazine” is to remind ourselves that everything we do must be done with the same level of quality, integrity, and drive to “get it right” that we’ve strived for the past thirteen years.

This notion of “Powered by LP Magazine” perhaps should have been termed “Powered by Excellence,” which is what we see in many individuals and organizations like Kroger and Lowe’s across the industry. It is an idea that naturally flows from an industry that is built upon the principles of quality and integrity. Whether you are a brand new LP associate or a tenured retail executive, we trust and encourage you to be “Powered by Excellence” every day.

Whether it’s the launch of our news app or adapting our communications tools for creating internal digital magazines for retailers, the idea of “Powered by LP Magazine” is to remind ourselves that everything we do must be done with the same level of quality, integrity, and drive to “get it right” that we’ve strived for the past thirteen years.

Jim Lee, LPC Executive Editor

How will that impact inventory? The stuff’s got to be on the shelf.

Need to get my LP team in on the conversation

The industry’s moving faster than ever. It’s all about visibility now.

Which means our technology has to do more, too

The new cameras have to improve customer experience, not impede it

It’s not just about catching bad guys anymore

Industry roles are changing as fast as the technology is.

We’ll help you think like a Chief Visibility Officer.

From the big picture to a million minor details, your job is all about visibility. Creating a secure shopping environment. Managing loss prevention. Tracking millions of pieces of inventory – from the manufacturer to the shopping bag. And doing it all in one of the fastest-changing environments in global commerce. That’s why we like to think of people like you as Chief Visibility Officers – with an eye on every aspect of the industry, and the goal of improving customer experience through effective security practices backed by genuine Sensormatic® EAS technology. At Tyco Integrated Security, we get how important that is – and it’s why we work with 80 percent of the world’s Top 100 retailers on smarter ways to advance their business security. We’re more than a security company. We’re your Tyco Team.

To download our latest White Paper, visit TycoIS.com/LP

1.800.2.TYCO.IS / Safer. Smarter. Tyco.™