Mason warns that there will be little let up in Tesco’s expansion
Rival retailers have only themselves to blame for not managing to keep up with Tesco, Tim Mason, the retailer’s marketing director, hinted at this year’s IGD Convention.
Mason told the London audience that the success of Britain’s largest retailer had been down to nothing but hard graft.
And he told the conference - based around the theme of The Flair Factor - that there was no special secret to the success enjoyed by Tesco.
In a wide-ranging speech, Mason said: “It is not difficult to generate new ideas. What singles organisations out are those that actually get stuff done.”
Examples of simple ideas
that had been brought to fruition by the multiple, Mason told the convention, included Tesco.com and Tesco Express, which were “two pretty good ideas but not that difficult”. He said: “What makes them remarkable is running them
to make a sustainable return while having a world-leading offer at world-leading prices.”
To this end, there would be little let up in Tesco’s expansion plans, suggested Mason.
“Whatever level you play at you play to win and that is the same for us as it is for suppliers. Our job is to get our business on to the rostrum; it is important for the business and important for shareholders.”
However, he said: “It is simple, but not easy to do. We are aware that as our business gets bigger it becomes more difficult.”
Being first to market with new initiatives would also continue to be a key plank of Tesco’s plan, he added. “We like to be first because customers like it. If you do something first, they give you credit for it. If you do it second they will take it but they do not give you the credit.”
To this end, he added, Tesco remained far from complacent. “We are hugely respectful about our competition. We assume they do things for very good reasons and that everything they do needs a full response.
“If we are honest, we do not like having our agenda changed but in my experience doing nothing never produces results.”
Flair was all very good but “much more” was needed, such as “being determined no other business can achieve more for customers”, he said.
Simon Mowbray
Rival retailers have only themselves to blame for not managing to keep up with Tesco, Tim Mason, the retailer’s marketing director, hinted at this year’s IGD Convention.
Mason told the London audience that the success of Britain’s largest retailer had been down to nothing but hard graft.
And he told the conference - based around the theme of The Flair Factor - that there was no special secret to the success enjoyed by Tesco.
In a wide-ranging speech, Mason said: “It is not difficult to generate new ideas. What singles organisations out are those that actually get stuff done.”
Examples of simple ideas
that had been brought to fruition by the multiple, Mason told the convention, included Tesco.com and Tesco Express, which were “two pretty good ideas but not that difficult”. He said: “What makes them remarkable is running them
to make a sustainable return while having a world-leading offer at world-leading prices.”
To this end, there would be little let up in Tesco’s expansion plans, suggested Mason.
“Whatever level you play at you play to win and that is the same for us as it is for suppliers. Our job is to get our business on to the rostrum; it is important for the business and important for shareholders.”
However, he said: “It is simple, but not easy to do. We are aware that as our business gets bigger it becomes more difficult.”
Being first to market with new initiatives would also continue to be a key plank of Tesco’s plan, he added. “We like to be first because customers like it. If you do something first, they give you credit for it. If you do it second they will take it but they do not give you the credit.”
To this end, he added, Tesco remained far from complacent. “We are hugely respectful about our competition. We assume they do things for very good reasons and that everything they do needs a full response.
“If we are honest, we do not like having our agenda changed but in my experience doing nothing never produces results.”
Flair was all very good but “much more” was needed, such as “being determined no other business can achieve more for customers”, he said.
Simon Mowbray
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