Site Layout & Design
Once a site is selected and meets the criteria, the next crucial
decision is arriving at a professional design for the site and
store that will fulfill the potential that exists in the market
area the store will serve.
Layout and design begin with a long series of questions that dictate
how the plan will ultimately develop, i.e.:
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Who
will be our customers?
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What
will they buy from us?
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How
many gallons of gasoline will the site generate, and therefore,
how many pumps are needed?
The need dictates the design. Determining
the need is most critical in finalizing store and site layout and
design. "Cookie Cutter" Stores do not exist in Nice N Easy
Grocery Shoppes.
Advertising,
Marketing & Public Relations
Professional multi-media
advertising campaigns and in-store point-of-purchase materials are
generated in-house for all stores, promoting all categories, and maximizing
sales opportunities. Through proper target marketing procedures, monthly
campaigns are advertised on television, radio, billboards, direct
mail, in-store P.O.P. and flyers. In addition to the monthly specials,
our exceptional vendor relations and strong buying power allow us
to run competitive grocery specials.
Our annual promotional calendar includes specific product and incentive
accrual programs to promote sales in all product categories. Through
our buying power, we receive competitive pricing and promotions from
our vendors designed to maximize sales and profits.
Nice N Easy continuously supports community events in the areas we
service, thereby enforcing positive public relations in the consumer's
eye. For new or recently renovated stores, Grand Openings and Customer
Appreciation Days are designed and coordinated in house, building
traffic and creating awareness of the Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppe.
Merchandising & Buying Expertise
Full field support
is available for store layouts, plan-o-grams, and merchandising to ensure
that all products and top movers are present. Our on-going relations
and commitment from suppliers to maximize sales opportunities are all
part of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes' merchandising support. Nice N Easy
has a full-time Buyer on staff, to monitor costs and retails and to
ensure that we receive the best possible deals available.
A full-time Food Service Director is on staff establishing procedures
and guidelines in preparing and merchandising all food items sold. These
procedures are detailed in a manual of operations and updated regularly
to meet the changing demands of the marketplace and our customers. Stores
are visited regularly to assist in the training of the food handlers
and ensure that food preparation procedures are followed. New product
testing, merchandising techniques, equipment layouts, marketing analysis
and operational efficiency are all areas that impact the food service
area. They are available to improve the overall profitability of the
store.
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Human Resource Assistance
Technical support is available to assist in all
major aspects of human resources. These include:
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Recruitment and
retention strategies
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Orientation procedures
for new employees
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Employer and
employee legal compliance concerns
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Interview and
selection techniques training
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Assistance with
worker's compensation and disability
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Development of
individualized personnel policies
These programs are
administered jointly by staff and Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppe's unique
support program with the National Employers Council (NEC).
Training Program
Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes is on the cutting edge of technology with
its Computer Based Training Program for new employees and managers...
the store's computer no longer needs to sit idle when the bookwork is
done. Training modules including alcohol sales, customer service, robbery
prevention and time management are available at all times for all employees.
Managers know at any time which modules have been passed by employees!
Our "Green Team" for new members of management is a week-long
program taught by corporate staff in their area of specialization,
including
Leadership, Hiring, Accounting, Fast Food Management, Merchandising,
and Loss Prevention.
Accounting Services & PDI
Nice N Easy Grocery
Shoppes utilizes Professional Datasolutions, Inc. (P.D.I.) software
to handle all of its financial reporting requirements, and each franchisee
is encouraged to do likewise. The professional accounting staff stands
ready to support the franchisee in either a stand-alone or service bureau
mode.
With virtually all of the franchisees utilizing the same financial software,
a sharing of key data is extremely easy. Quarterly Combined Data Reports
are generated and made available to all franchisees to help gauge its
performance with that of comparable locations within the Nice N Easy
family.
The accounting staff is continually researching opportunities to add
or improve financial services within the retail environment. Money orders,
ATM machines, long-distance payphone service, telephone calling cards,
and in-store banking are just some of these services. Support and assistance
are also available to organizations seeking outside financing.
Loss Prevention Supervision
Nice N Easy
employs a full-time Director of loss Prevention who has valuable experience
in both inventory crew supervision and retail management. A wide range
of services is available from auditing the inventory crew itself to
surprise cash audits. Loss investigations, including security interviews
and stakeouts, will help stop shrink problems before they can cost
thousands of dollars in losses.
Quarterly Awards & Recognition
Nice N Easy is committed to its people.
By recognizing them quarterly and annually for special achievements,we
acknowledge the hard work of employees at all levels.
These honors include recognition for:
These awards are all part of our commitment to recognizing the people
who drive our business.
Mystery Shopper Program & Uniforms
The Mystery Shopper Program was developed to provide monthly feedback
to owners and managers, on the status and condition of the stores.
The program focuses on these major areas:
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Internal and
external store appearance
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Product availability
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Point-of-purchase
materials
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Food service
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Uniforms
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Most importantly,
the quality of service received at the register.
Each store is shopped
by a mystery shopper once a month, making sure that all shifts are shopped
at least twice a year. Employees are eligible to earn cash incentives,
and top stores are honored with awards quarterly.
In order to portray the professional image that Nice N Easy's customers
have come to expect, a selection of uniforms are available. Uniform
requirements are facilitated with the use of a contracted distribution
and laundry service.
Financial Analysis
Nice N Easy
Grocery Shoppes prides itself on being in touch with the financial
side of the business at all times. This starts with our budgeting
program that sets sales goals, establishes payroll budgets and creates
criteria for gross margin, shrink, expenses and profit. Exception
reporting directs operations in the right direction, saving time and
measuring results. Being plugged into the numbers of over 85 stores
tells us where we individually stand!
MIS Assistance & Easy Access
Systems
Nice N Easy is committed to keeping up with technology changes, thereby
gaining a competitive edge in the marketplace. Computers and other
information systems are integrated to provide management information
and time-saving tools.
These include:
Support
is always available to answer system and software development questions,
or provide programming solutions as new industry developments appear.
Easy
Access Systems is a computer hardware and software reseller
division of Nice N Easy.
Substantial cost savings for all products
sold through this division are extended to the franchise "family".
All products are
tested within the corporate division for compatibility and quality before
being offered through
Easy
Access Systems.
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