FOOD RETAILING: HOW TO KEEP COSTS DOWN?

“The large store is the future”, states Ian MacLaurin, in a positive affirmation of belief in the superstore. In the hypermarket lies the most practical answer to the problem of reduced costs and lower price. In distribution terms, the advantages of one massive delivery to a single hypermarket are obvious. Apart from the hypermarket, there are other target areas for cost reduction: transport and delivery, packaging, advertising, stock control — even items such as store lighting and administration. In an economic climate where margins are being government‐controlled it becomes not merely desirable but mandatory to examine these areas with the closest possible attention. This is a summary of Ian MacLaurin's paper to the Food Manufacturers' Federation conference at Bournemouth.