Brookshire’s ‘Getting Better All the Time’

Mike Terry, EVP of retail operations for Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC), discusses how the competitive climate has changed for regional grocers in recent years, among other issues, during a two-part exclusive Industry Talk video segment.

“What it’s really done has made us get better,” says Terry, adding that customers are much savvier today than in years past. “What our customers have told us is, ‘Get us what we want at the price we want it.’ And we have made great strides through our marketing efforts to meet the expectations of all of our customers,” adds Terry, during his interview with Progressive Grocer’s Editor-in-Chief, Meg Major.

As one of the nation’s most respected regional family owned supermarket retailers, Tyler, Texas-based Brookshire’s -- which operates more than 150 supermarkets in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, and which earlier this year earned the nod as PG’s Outstanding Regional Independent Retailer of the Year -- operates under four distinct banners: Brookshire’s Food Stores, Super 1 Foods Stores, Olé Foods and ALPS (Always Low Price Store), as well as three distribution facilities in Tyler and one in Monroe, La.

During the interview, Terry touches on a number of top-of-mind industry issues, including pricing strategies in terms of competing with industry heavy-hitter Walmart.

“We are not toe-to-toe with every price, but we are close,” says Terry, adding that to better compete, Brookshire’s offers what he deems “more” in terms of customer service, offerings and fresh presentations.

Stay tuned for part two of this exclusive interview, which will be released later this month, in which Terry discusses Brookshire’s focus on community involvement in the markets it serves, the role of private label, and the company’s “partner” philosophy.

Industry Talk, co-produced by DemandTec, is the first-of-its-kind executive insights video platform in the retail food industry, and consists of a robust lineup of additional profiles with other industry leaders, who discuss top-of-mind issues impacting the supermarket industry.