Reference no: EM133098413

Business Research and Analysis

Scenario

You are a manager at a small grocery store chain. In your role it is your responsibility to oversee all aspects of the day to day functioning of your store. This includes the customer experience, sales, management of employees, inventory, etc. Over the previous six months, you have identified a slow decline in sales. The home office has taken notice as well and is applying pressure to turn things around. You have been in this position for 3 years and plan to apply for a general manager position when one becomes available. However, if you are unable to increase your sales numbers, this will not be possible.

In order to identify the cause in the decline, you will have to assess all aspects of your operation. Many factors can contribute to declining sales, such as customer service, price points, or even location. However, you are aware that a major competitor has recently began an online pick-up and delivery service to provide added convenience for their customers, and you believe this may be a contributing factor for the drop in your sales figures. You have mentioned this to the general manager and have gotten a lukewarm response. In order to stay competitive, you have decided to explore whether the lack of an online service component is affecting your in-store sales and what research strategies you will employ to make the determination.