Shelley Broader, president and CEO of Sweetbay, has a favorite piece of advice she likes to share. "Don't focus on your competition. Focus on your customers. It's only by focusing on your customers that you can make your competition irrelevant."
Well, Ms. Broader's advice hasn't made competitors such as Wal-Mart or Publix irrelevant, but it has made a favorable impression on consumers in Tampa and other markets in Florida served by Sweetbay.
Last year, the St. Petersburg Times reports, the chain pulled off a feat others have not achieved. The chain became the first large grocer in Tampa to hold its market share against Wal-Mart and Publix. At the beginning of 2006, Sweetbay accounted for 15.8 percent of Tampa's grocery market. At year's end, the chain held steady at the same percentage.
Discussion Questions: Has Sweetbay the stuff to continue to compete effectively in Florida? What are your thoughts on the job Shelley Broader has done since taking the helm at Kash n' Karry/Sweetbay in 2004?