Tock’s Post

The quickest way for any business to destroy their brand is when they lose control over what is sold to the customer. Most of us know how lazer focused entities like supermarkets are about what is stacked on their shelves (and where) and how successful Amazon has been at being ruthless at brands which failed to deliver - they simply won't appear on Amazon's "shelves" again. It's retail basics. At a time when we are told airlines are super eager to invest millions in becoming retailers, it's obvious that some airlines are going to exceed at this, whilst others will (and already are) totally fail. Traditional, European based airlines in particular are in trouble here, whilst the Middle East and Asian based carriers are miles ahead. I suspect most of the US carriers will be fine here as well. A recent experience I had with Swiss International Air Lines confirmed this without a doubt. I had a simple return LHR/MUC and wanted a hotel for the night in MUC. This was the night before going on to conference where I was a speaker, so it was important to me I got a good night's rest. Whilst I was flying Lufthansa, I booked my flights on the Swiss app and hence also went back there for my hotel. The hotel turned out to be a disaster. The transfer did not show up (extra charges by the hotel which were not mentioned), the room was not nearly as described and worst of all, their heating did not work. It was zero degrees in Munich that night and it was ice cold in the room. My call to reception about this was answered with "try changing the settings on the panel". I heard the next morning from fellow guests who asked for heaters to be sent to their rooms, which only kept tripping the power. Needless to say, I did not sleep much and felt cheated with this sale by Swiss. Yes I realise it was some OTA hotel provider which actually sold me the hotel. But I'm the customer of Swiss, the confirmation came from Swiss and above all, I wanted to make them aware of a product they are selling which should never, ever be associated with the Swiss brand. That was however impossible. The hotel provider email address did not respond, Swiss's website had no option for this sort of inquiry and their emails sent me from one form to the other. Eventually a case was logged, and miraculously solved according to Swiss, it was simple: As I flew on Lufthansa, I should contact them. This is how you destroy your brand, Swiss. Good luck with transitioning to Offer/Order and becoming a retailer. Not in a million years. #customerservice #retailing #airlines

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Dave & Buster's Inc. is gearing up for a transformational year, with ambitious plans for global expansion, improving its properties, and executing sale-leaseback agreements. As a consumer and hospitality consultant, I've witnessed D&B's recent F&B enhancements (service and product offered) as well as continually refreshed game offerings and strategic price increases. The difference is notable and positive. The company outlined its growth strategies during its fourth quarter earnings call. Following the acquisition of its former competitor Main Event for $835 million in 2022, Dave & Buster's now boasts 222 locations across North America. It also intends to extend its footprint internationally with 33 new venues in six countries, including the Middle East, Australia, and India, eyeing the opening of four locations by 2025. The company has introduced numerous initiatives aimed at driving sales, such as a refreshed menu, increased gaming prices, and a focus on special events, contributing to a 6.3% increase in fourth-quarter revenue and a 12.3% rise in annual revenue to $2.2 billion in fiscal 2023. Dave & Buster's is also planning to remodel approximately 45 stores by the end of FY2024, enhancing the brand's growth prospects. Moreover, Dave & Buster's is exploring sale-leaseback deals for four of its properties, with expectations of securing premium prices thanks to the company's strong credit rating and long-term occupancy commitment, though details about these venues remain undisclosed. #FEC Newmark Newmark Valuation & Advisory IAAPA

I recently attended the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation's starter-ship event, back home! 🇿🇦 Which as always left me feeling refreshed and energized. It was inspiring to be surrounded by bright minds innovating and developing solutions to address some of the most pressing issues facing our society and communities. I particularly enjoyed participating in the pitching competition and collaborating with my group. Our project focused on a data-driven, consolidated leasing retail solution for small-scale vendors and SMMEs. Although we did not win, everyone at AGOF is a winner. The event provided valuable insights and feedback, offering numerous key takeaways. Just yesterday, I visited Menlyn Mall parking area 3 and spoke with a small-scale vendor who recently opened a store five months ago. We had a great conversation about their operations and the challenges they face. I was intrigued by the foot traffic the store attracts and its strategic location at the parking entrance. This placement seems to mainly draw customers or traffic primarily from parking 3 rather than the mall at large which intrigued me, on how much it actually benefits a small vendor seeking to maximize foot traffic for sales. In contrast, the newly opened UNIQ by Checkers, located near the food court, benefits from high foot traffic and proximity to established brands like Replay and SPCC. This prime location attracts an affluent demographic, allowing UNIQ to reach its target audience effectively. It is quite evident the higher cost per square meter in these areas typically limits access to larger vendors with significant capital, like UNIQ in this case. This observation for me raises questions about the profitability and benefits of the current retail landscape for small vendors and SMMEs, which is what our solution aimed to address. Despite the growing trend of online shopping, as I have personally experienced in my own entrepreneurial journey - South African consumers still prefer the in-store experience, which is enhanced by our world-class retail malls and warm amazing service from our people. Nevertheless, I believe there are opportunities for innovation and improvement in the retail sector, particularly for smaller vendors and SMMEs. Who play a crucial role in advancing our economy and creating employment opportunities. I found it particularly rewarding to brainstorm ideas around this issue.

There are few things I like more than helping people make more money. If you’re a brand owner who isn’t growing as profitably as you’d like or an employee at a company whose bonus depends on revenue growth, come hang out on Wednesday where we’ll go through how to make your website more profitable and how that impacts the rest of your business. Talks with Kristy Hurt and the co-lab are some of the most interesting I’ve ever attended. Super excited to be able to offer one. #ecommerce #profits #growth #marketing

Always, always book a bigger room.... Looks like the second European Loyalty Association (ELA) event in Berlin will sell out, just like the London one in March. Already CRM leads from : Vitafy Brands, Cosnova, Taxfix, Babbel, Magix, Lampenwelt, Raisin, Autodoc, Tonies, Prosperity solutions, Mika, Vinted, TravelCircus, Project A Ventures, Kleinanzeigen, Zalando, Melia Hotels International, Flink, Zenjob, Raisin US and Rebuy are joining and we have space for two more (unless we can get a bigger room). Are you a CRM/Loyalty professional and want to join them? Link in the comments. Thanks to Braze for supporting the event. #crm #loyalty

Revolution Bars Group PLC sets out three-year strategic focus, expansion proposed to recommence in FY27: Revolution Bars Group – the operator of the Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Peach Pubs brands – has set out its proposed strategic focus for its next three financial years, which will see it curtail its expansion plans until FY27. It follows the completion of its £12.5m fundraising and is dependent on execution of its restructuring plan. In a circular to shareholders, the Rob Pitcher-led business, which has also launched a formal sales process, said: “Following completion of the fundraising and implementation of the restructuring plan, the board believes the positive guest and brand metrics across the group’s portfolio will enable the group to benefit from improving market conditions. Furthermore, the board believes that the improving economic and market dynamics with rising consumer confidence and falling inflation provide a platform for the recovery of the group’s business. The board also believes that the group’s experienced management team has the sector credentials and expertise to drive medium term growth through like-for-like revenue improvement and expansion of the group’s portfolio, while significantly reducing group leverage.” The group’s proposed strategic focus for FY25 will include executing the restructuring plan, rationalising its trading estate and protecting the group’s liquidity; continuing the “premiumisation of Peach Pubs’ product and service”; and “continuing the enhancement of Revolución de Cuba’s entertainment and brand proposition”. In FY26 its proposed recommencing the five-year investment cycle for the group’s bars, with a target return on capital employed (ROCE) of 50% from refurbished sites; recommencing the seven to eight-year investment cycle for the group’s pubs, again with a target ROCE of 50% from refurbished sites; and exploring site acquisition opportunities across the Peach and Revolución de Cuba brands

If, like me, you were unable to attend the event, but revenue streams are your world, fret not, the report is available for download... and its free :) As an additional give away, you can message me to get a FREE secondary revenue earnings forecast (although, to be fair they're always free).

🎉 Discover the Club X Pty Ltd Transformation! 🌟    Club X is a leading adult toys retail chain known for its exceptional shopping experience and vast range of products. It has a sprawling network of over 20 stores across Australia and sells over 90,000 products through its online and offline stores. Before its integration, the company faced significant challenges in managing its complex business processes. It struggled with data inconsistencies, inefficient manual workflows, and fragmented systems, impacting its overall efficiency and customer satisfaction.    ▶️ The Challenges: - Club X experienced discrepancies between its point-of-sale (POS) and e-commerce platforms, which led to issues with inventory management and customer data. - Relying on manual processes for data entry and management created delays and increased the risk of human error. - Multiple disjointed systems made it difficult for Club X to achieve a unified view of its business operations.    💡Solutions by SAAS Integrator: - SAAS Integrator provided a single platform for unified data management that integrated Club X’s POS, e-commerce, and other business systems, ensuring consistent and accurate information across the enterprise. - Automated workflows were implemented to eliminate manual data entry, reducing errors and operational costs. - Real-time synchronisation of inventory data between systems helped Club X maintain accurate stock levels and prevent stockouts or overstocking.    From complex systems to smooth sailing, our comprehensive integration transformed Club X’s business operations, increasing efficiency, saving time, and improving customer service and satisfaction. It provided a unified, efficient, and scalable system that significantly improved Club X’s performance and helped it expand its operations. 🚀    Want to know more about how Club X supercharged its business with our seamless integration solutions? 📈 Read the full case study here to uncover the magic behind Club X’s success: https://lnkd.in/dh_Ecz_Z    Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at how we helped Club X take its business to the next level! 👀 Join the revolution and see how we can do the same for you! 💥    .  .  .  #successstory #casestudy #retailinnovation #businessgrowth #ecommercesolutions #techsolutions #saasintegration #saasintegrator