Retail Management Forum spurs global best practices in C-store industry

The Retail Management Forum's aim is to be acknowledged as the definitive guide for convenience retail business solutions in Southern Africa. It is a commercial organisation focused on facilitating best practice business solutions for the Convenience Retail industry. The UCS sponsorship allows the RMF to announce an exciting set of upcoming activities and initiatives to drive the growth and success of the local convenience store industry.

The RMF is managed by its founder, Raymond Maingard, who has been active in the retailing and hospitality industries for many years. He is an international speaker and regularly presents the South African viewpoint at industry conventions in the UK and the USA. "In South Africa, we do not have an active Convenience Association as exists in the US, UK and Australia," says Maingard. "The RMF fills the role that an Association would play in raising the profile of the convenience channel as well as brokering industry solutions."

It is this global network that Maingard believes will generate interest for the RMF's activities. "Although we have world-class retailers of our own in South Africa, the RMF will assist the industry to remain at the forefront of retail marketing and operations through publicising global best practices as they are being developed," says Maingard.

Towards retailing excellence

UCS believes that in supporting the RMF to become the definitive authority in retailing excellence in South Africa, it too will be challenged to continue to produce and maintain leading edge solutions for its clients. UCS is a leader in providing consultancy, technology and business solutions to the Convenience Store industry. It counts amongst its clients Sasol and Engen, two companies who between them have an SA market share in excess of 30% in petroleum products and 40% in convenience stores.

"The C-store world is changing rapidly with new technologies being developed on a daily basis, at the same time as customers expectations grow. Organisations such as the RMF can assist enormously by adopting an objective position on new developments and by keeping a watchful eye on global trends, with local applications," says Rob Monteith, UCS Software Executive. "UCS is proud to play a supportive role to the RMF and assist in building a culture of retailing excellence for all to share in."

A successful launch was held for the RMF in Johannesburg on 21st May. History was made on 6th July when representatives from all petroleum companies met at the RMF's inaugural industry seminar. The RMF plans to host three to four of these events per annum to establish a working group on key industry issues such as pending new liquor and tobacco legislation.

State of the Industry

The influential US-based National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) has appointed the RMF as its local interface for the development of a global retailing benchmark programme known as the State of the Industry Report.

Maingard notes: "In recent years we have seen phenomenal growth from the C-Store industry. These exponential growths have begun to flatten and new development will only be possible by improving the service levels and the whole C-store shopping experience."

He reports that in both the UK and USA markets, large supermarket chains are making inroads into the convenience channel with micro-store formats. He says, "at the recent UK Convention, the theme was the fight for the local Pound, where multiple supermarkets are turning their attention to small convenience formats that make their products more accessible to people in their own neighbourhoods.

"I believe that the RMF's function is to challenge the industry to continually raise the bar on convenience retailing standards. Recent history has shown that in a de-regulated market, when large supermarket chains are permitted to retail petroleum products, only those companies who have traditional retail structures and programmes are able to survive. In the UK, for example, as many as 50% of service stations have closed in the face of supermarket chains entering the market and of those that remain 100% of them have a branded C-store as part of their offering. In France, 80% of gasoline sales are done by large supermarkets, not oil companies. The industry has to become more retail focused and continually learn from the lessons of our global colleagues," says Maingard.

Black Economic Empowerment

The industry faces its biggest challenge in transforming the equity status of convenience retailers. "Transferring of skill-sets to empower previously disadvantaged individuals cannot be the sole responsibility of large corporates," claims Maingard.

The RMF reports that 100 000 matriculants enter the job market each year with little to offer in the way of basic business skills. The RMF has been working closely with Cornell University and local business schools to bring a mentoring programme to South Africa that will see the beginnings of a skills transfer taking place.

The launch of the School Leaver programme is planned for the latter half of 2005, with the project going live over the summer of 2005/6.

Global experts to develop local expertise

Quarterly seminars and industry summits will be held with the first planned for December this year.

Stan Sheetz, CEO of Sheetz Inc,. one of the USA's top three definitive convenience retailers, will be the keynote speaker at the first RMF International Seminar on 7th December in Johannesburg. Joining Sheetz on stage will be other leading local and international exponents of the retail industry. "The distance from overseas markets and events makes it difficult for retailers to leave their businesses to learn first-hand what is making news, says Maingard. The seminars and summits will bring these learnings to South Africa and also provide a showcase for South African entrepreneurs making the headlines.

The organisation's website, www.rmf.co.za, is currently in development.