Introduction
As part of a series on time management in the retail industry, Pierre-Yves BLANCHARD, Expert Director at TimeSkipper, is interviewed by Jonathan Le Borgne. Having been with TimeSkipper for eleven years and with nearly 25 years of experience at Auchan, Promodès, Champion, Dia, and Carrefour, Pierre-Yves knows the industry inside out.
From department manager to head of organization at Carrefour Group, with a focus on process optimization, he has witnessed the major transformations in French retail firsthand. And he has a lot to share about driving change, preventing and managing pain points, and the continuous rise of artificial intelligence in retail stores.
I) Mergers and Rebranding: The Meeting of Two Cultures
The acquisition of Casino stores by Intermarché, Auchan, and Carrefour, along with Cora and Match by Carrefour, has reshaped the retail landscape. Beyond the industry consolidation lies the challenge of merging organizations and successfully rebranding.
Pierre-Yves, who was at Promodès during its merger, offers an insightful perspective on this transformation.
In the late 90s, Carrefour and Promodès merged to form a retail giant. Two companies with distinct cultures, deeply rooted traditions, and a shared goal: to combine Carrefour’s buying power with Promodès’ franchise expertise. The challenge? Blending two unique DNAs without losing the essence of either.
“The most time-consuming part was unifying the corporate cultures,” Pierre-Yves explains. Surprisingly, “the operational teams in stores adapted faster than the executives.” Why? Because in retail, you have to act, adapt, and keep moving forward—there’s no time for hesitation.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Teams needed to be onboarded, reassured, and informed at every stage of the transition. “Change management was somewhat overlooked at the beginning,” admits Pierre-Yves. A crucial lesson for any retailer navigating the turbulent waters of transformation.
Communication played a pivotal role in this transition. Informing teams about upcoming changes, explaining the reasons behind the merger, and providing reassurance about the future helped minimize resistance to change. Pierre-Yves emphasizes the importance of using multiple communication channels to reach all employees, from headquarters to the shop floor.
To successfully navigate such transformations, a well-coordinated communication plan is essential, along with on-the-ground support.
“It’s crucial to train frontline managers to be effective change agents,” he says. Their role is vital in clearly conveying messages and addressing team concerns.
It’s a constant reminder: The manager is the true transmission belt within the store.
II) "Preventing and Managing Pain Points: Paying Attention to Details
“Nothing is worse than an empty shelf!”
The number one pain point remains stockouts. But the list doesn’t end there: long checkout lines, inaccurate price tags, product freshness, cluttered aisles… In an industry where customers have plenty of choices, even the smallest inconvenience can disrupt the entire experience.
Take checkout lines, for example. “There’s nothing more frustrating for a customer than waiting,” Pierre-Yves points out. With the advent of new technologies (self-scanning, self-checkout), it’s crucial to streamline the customer journey without losing the human touch.
Price display is another sensitive issue. Customers want transparency and clarity, especially during periods of inflation. A missing or misplaced price tag can create doubt in the consumer’s mind and damage the store’s reputation.
“Trust is often built on small details,” explains Pierre-Yves.
To effectively manage these pain points, stores need flawless organization. This involves rigorous stock management, precise tracking of promotions, and a high level of responsiveness to correct price display errors or product availability issues.
Store teams must be trained to anticipate these pain points and respond quickly when they occur.
“It’s essential to empower employees so they feel invested in the quality of the customer experience.”
To prevent and identify these pain points, teams need the right tools. TimeSkipper helps by enabling better workload management, ensuring that shelves are stocked on time, aisles are clear when the store opens, and all tasks are efficiently coordinated.
By accurately calculating the time required for each task, TimeSkipper ensures that, in addition to routine duties, key actions impacting customer experience are also completed.
An investigation conducted with Je Bosse en Grande Distribution revealed that three-quarters of the tasks that were poorly executed due to time constraints were those directly impacting the customer.
In a market where every detail counts for differentiation, neglecting these aspects is simply not an option.
III) Artificial Intelligence: A Strategic Tool
A powerful ally is revolutionizing the retail industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Imagine a world where you can predict which products will sell, anticipate stockouts before they even occur, and optimize every aspect of store operations. Pierre-Yves sees AI as a game-changer, especially for “precisely planning tasks and teams.”
For example, in sales advisory:
“It’s problematic not to have sales associates available for a key product line when AI indicates it’s the crucial moment to trigger a purchase,” Pierre-Yves explains.
TimeSkipper is leading this revolution by leveraging AI to enhance in-store activity management. By analyzing real-time workload data and anticipated customer traffic, TimeSkipper schedules tasks at the most optimal times.
This not only ensures efficient restocking but also maximizes team availability for customer service and sales assistance.
AI also improves in-store traffic management. By analyzing footfall data, AI can predict peak times and adjust staffing levels accordingly, reducing wait times at checkout and enhancing the overall customer experience.
With TimeSkipper’s AI, you can:
- Adjust staffing needs based on workload and anticipated peak times.
- Consider external factors like weather conditions, ongoing promotions, and local events.
By integrating AI into daily team operations, TimeSkipper is transforming how stores organize their activities and interact with customers.
Conclusion
Changing company culture, managing pain points, anticipating customer expectations with AI… Retail is at a crossroads. As Pierre-Yves reminds us, “Change is an opportunity to reinvent commerce.”
