SHKP Quarterly

adjust the quantity and variety of our stock." Susanna thinks that in running a supermarket, one has to be responsive and decisive because many products have a limited shelf life. A product may expire if you do not act quickly enough. Quality over price Competition in the retail industry is fierce and price wars among industry players have a direct impact on profit. According to Susanna, YATA’s operating strategy is not to engage in price wars but to make greater efforts in sourcing goods that consumers want and which are lacking in the market, so you can attract a group of discerning customers. She said: “Price reductions don’t help build customer loyalty. Only by offering unique, quality products will customers have the incentive to make continuous patronage. That said, sometimes when others in the industry launch cut-throat price wars, we have no alternative but to make difficult decisions. All in all, we need to follow the trends and adapt to the changing circumstances.” Online shopping has grown rapidly in recent years. The YATA team recognized this and took steps to meet the challenge. Susanna said: “We don’t plan to develop online shopping on a large scale at this stage because of the high logistics costs, but we find that our young customers do have a preference for online shopping so we have a strategic approach to attracting more customers to use our online shopping service, for example by making specific goods exclusively available from YATA’s online store.” A flexible, efficient team In the eyes of Susanna, the success of YATA comes from a team where everyone supports and helps each other and is also self- motivated, and this is evident even in just a frontline employee. When YATA has Shopping Days, Susanna often works together with the frontline staff, usually helping to bag at the cashier because this gives her a direct understanding of customer preferences. She remembered one time when there was a difficult customer: “She kept coming back asking for plastic bags to hold her refrigerated food. I asked her why she needed so many of them and she started hurling abuse at me saying I did not bag her groceries properly so she needed more bags to rearrange her goods. It wasn’t true and I felt very upset hearing her cursing. Fortunately, my colleagues stood up for me. At that moment, I truly appreciated the patience of all our frontline staff who can remain calm despite having to stand all day long.” Colleagues are willing to contribute because the company cares for them. Susanna said: “We insist on giving staff sufficient room for development so they feel this isn’t just the business of a company but also their career, and this way they work hard.” The company limits frontline staff to work 8.5 hours a day so they do not wear themselves out. It also provides a reasonable place for breaks so they can take as much rest as possible when they are off duty. “Sometimes, we treat staff with popular, seasonal fruits or specialty food. It may not be a big favour, but at least it represents the company’s appreciation for staff for their contributions and hard work”, she said. Failure drives innovation To Susanna, innovation comes at a cost. “For any new attempts, there’s a chance of failure as well as success. Instead of blaming anyone in the team, you should treat failure as a learning opportunity. Only then can you encourage the whole team to innovate.” Leading a team of around 1,000, Susanna feels a heavy responsibility is rested on her. She follows an aphorism by the late American President Theodore Roosevelt as her management philosophy — ‘Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground. ’ “As management, it’s important that we set our sights high, but not chase castles in the air.” Special back up As a mother of two, Susanna feels blessed to have her family as strong support. Every weekend, she spends some time visiting YATA stores with her family, both to see how business is doing and buy groceries. She said her family is used to the routine and is even very dedicated to her work: “Whenever they see something new while shopping, they will call me right away to see if that can be an inspiration to my work.” She joked that while she was a consultant in the retail industry before joining the Group, her husband is now her personal consultant. “My husband is seasoned in management, so whenever I run into problems, I talk to him and he gives me advice." At work, Susanna has good colleagues. Outside, she has the full support of her family. These are the most important driving force for her work and life. Susanna thinks only quality products and services can build customer loyalty 一田百貨近年擴展迅速，黃思麗認為堅持提供優質產品和服務，才能建立顧客的忠誠度 21