Listening to Robin Dunbar’s explanation of love might have been a useful exercise for the seemingly doomed retail chain that is Clintons. For, as he pointed out, the intensity to which the human species falls in love, is unique amongst the animal kingdom… and being as we’re the species with purses and wallets, there is a card for every occasion along the full gamut road; from head over heels to finding the shoulder to cry on, with a myriad endless emotions, able to put to verse, in between.
A Corporate Board, enabled to hold 25% market control, squeeze suppliers and having sometime mark-ups of 1000%, leaves little room for sympathy, especially when their decision making responsibility impacts on employees, and, at a time for small enterprise’s daily dealings being amongst competitive adverse challenges.
Buying-up, as a business model, to corner a segment of a market, without a strategy, is similar to the old plate spinning analogy; bad management… not in tandem… ultimately…crash!
I was asked once, by a visiting manager to a Clinton’s branch, Have you found everything you’re looking for?, as he displayed his prowess to the shop manager. No, I replied, You don’t stock writing paper. The explanation was short; There’s no market for it! My suggestions, You could try a small display area over there, or an online service… were given the vein of computer-says-no. And, when the computer dictates in a vertical chain, it’s unlikely anyone is enabled to bring ideas or thoughts about products and services, as they might in the flat system as encouraged by many small businesses. Presumably Clinton’s haven’t listened to their staff, they certainly didn’t listen to their customers (online came too late), and it seems likely they weren’t listening to the markets.
Bad Board management isn’t unfortunately new therefore there’s some irony to profits declining from the once market leader who had the tandem role card: It’s Over!
(Image and Article credit: Copyright SUF)
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