THE INFLECTION POINT: CRITICAL PATHWAYS IN FOOD RETAILING

Europe, 2007

We marvel at the rise and spectacular successes of Tesco, Mercadona or Lidl. At the same time, we wonder why North American retail giant Winn-Dixie was forced to declare bankruptcy, while its principal competitor Publix continued to grow and thrive. How did some of the seemingly invincible companies of the past decades, with massive capital and resources, fall on hard times while new startups captured consumers’ wallets?

There are critical points in the history of an industry or an individual company that signal permanent change. When a company faces one of these business life cycle stages, its future is often at stake—the proper response leads to sustained growth, while inappropriate reactions may lead to downfall.

It is easy to point out retrospectively where these right or wrong decisions were made. It is more difficult to be able to understand if an impeding critical point is at hand. Companies must have the necessary skill sets to predict those potential stages and respond quickly.

This report seeks to help retailers answer the critical questions that will impact their long-term success.