Ian, I think your comments on JLP are insightful and helpful. A few years ago Waitrose did some analysis of their head office headcount, and found that they had 4 times the number of their most efficient comparator of similar size, a Dutch supermarket, Jumbo. But there was never the will internally to deal with the overstaffing, and so it continued on! I hope that they will be more successful this time, giving those that remain a more prosperous future.
That's very kind Will, thanks. That's a fascinating insight on the size of the Waitrose Head Office, and the failure to deal with the issue is a reminder that it isn't just the number of people in the centre but also their quality and the culture they create that matters.
Ian, I think your comments on JLP are insightful and helpful. A few years ago Waitrose did some analysis of their head office headcount, and found that they had 4 times the number of their most efficient comparator of similar size, a Dutch supermarket, Jumbo. But there was never the will internally to deal with the overstaffing, and so it continued on! I hope that they will be more successful this time, giving those that remain a more prosperous future.
That's very kind Will, thanks. That's a fascinating insight on the size of the Waitrose Head Office, and the failure to deal with the issue is a reminder that it isn't just the number of people in the centre but also their quality and the culture they create that matters.