With the new store opening our store was blessed to be included in the Grand Opening ads. This help us stay competitive with the other stores in the area. Our sales dropped the first two weeks of the opening of the new store, however by the third week we saw a rebound in our sales. A lot of our customers went to the new store, but after two weeks they were coming back, most hated to fight the traffic to get to the new store. After a few more weeks our sales were greater than the new store. Not only had we kept a large portion of our customers we also picked up a new customer base from existing stores from the special that were ran in the Grand Opening ads. The extra hard work we had put into the making of our store sparkle during the Grand Opening of the new store had paid huge dividends.

I was amazing how great the surveys taken during the opening of the new store had reflected a positive review on our store. These surveys were taken at both stores and the customers praise the new store on all the extras it provided: a seafood department, a floral department, a complete nonfood department, a seat down deli restaurant and a pharmacy. However, two areas the new store could not match us on were customer service and the freshness of our perishable departments. And this was the reason why most of our customers returned. A few months later the President of the company came out to visit both of the stores and was very impressed with the results we had in retaining our customers.

Our President was a former store manager and zone manager that pushed for store manager involvement in the community. He saw this in our store. He also saw the need to replace our store. The lease was almost up for the stores in our store’s shopping center, so the timing was right for the planning of the new replacement store for both us and the drug store beside us.  I became involved in the planning of this store and would be the new Unit Manager.  A year later I was very busy for several months, working between two stores, closing one down and getting the other ready for a Grand Opening.  So, God did provide a greater opportunity for me and the employees at this store. Looking back on the past is a great reminder that waiting on God to work things out is always the best path.