lean retail

All articles about lean retail

How a Ukrainian company modernized itself using lean
January 9, 2018
How a Ukrainian company modernized itself using lean

INTERVIEW – In this Q&A, the CEO of a Ukrainian provider of equipment for stores shares how lean thinking has helped his company modernize its processes and engage its people.

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Freeing up cash by reducing stock at a lean car dealership
January 5, 2018
Freeing up cash by reducing stock at a lean car dealership

FEATURE – This story from Cape Town car dealership Halfway Ottery shows just how much eliminating stock can contribute to turning around a business by freeing up cash.

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How we slashed waiting times for our customers
July 23, 2018
How we slashed waiting times for our customers

VIDEO INTERVIEW – A store manager explains how a simple kaizen reduced waiting times for customers who want to return products. We use today’s video to launch our Lean Improv contest.

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How we are rolling out lean in our chain of stores
July 5, 2018
How we are rolling out lean in our chain of stores

FEATURE – When Praktiker decided to turn to lean thinking, they were faced with the challenge of rolling out its principles and practices to 20 DIY stores. Here’s how they are trying to make it work.

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Managing a chain of 100 cafes in Barcelona with lean
January 23, 2018
Managing a chain of 100 cafes in Barcelona with lean

THE LEAN BAKERY - For the past decade, lean has fuelled the growth of a chain of cafes/bakeries in Barcelona. With 100 now open, the Retail Manager explains how lean helps them manage a booming business.

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All by Yourself? Find Your Lean Trojan Horse
December 15, 2015
All by Yourself? Find Your Lean Trojan Horse

FEATURE ARTICLE - Sometimes, introducing lean thinking in an organization can make you feel lonely and hopeless. This article, which draws on the author's experience working with a chain of supermarkets in Siberia, offers some tips on what to do to start off a lean transformation.

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Local experience for a global endeavor
June 28, 2022
Local experience for a global endeavor

FEATURE – A former ops manager now tasked for improvement across IKEA looks back at what she learned in one of the company’s stores and explains how she hopes to take lean to the whole group.

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Keeping up with change in retail
March 8, 2021
Keeping up with change in retail

FEATURE – A lean retail experiment: Carrefour Group in Brazil has started a lean journey to rapidly adapt to market changes and reach excellence in the delivery of value to customers.

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Lean-n-food
October 21, 2019
Lean-n-food

FEATURE – The food industry is mired with problems all along the value chain. In this call to arms, the author explains why lean thinking is the only tool we have to transform it right now.

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Learn how 365 manages HR and accounting using visual boards
May 30, 2018
Learn how 365 manages HR and accounting using visual boards
lean visual management 365 cafe

THE LEAN BAKERY – In the last episode of our video series, we learn how 365 is using an impressive visual management system to manage the accounting and human resources functions.

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Developing our people to flow value to our customers
December 5, 2017
Developing our people to flow value to our customers

CASE STUDY – One-piece flow and a focus on lean leadership and kaizen have allowed the Halfway Production Centre in Johannesburg to turn itself around in just 14 months.

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In the digital world customer service alone is not enough
February 22, 2017
In the digital world customer service alone is not enough

FEATURE – As many retail giants are finding out, great customer service is no longer enough to ensure competitive advantage in a world where the digital revolution is taking no prisoners.

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The amazing growth of a chain of lean bakeries in Spain
July 16, 2015
The amazing growth of a chain of lean bakeries in Spain

CASE STUDY – A very lean system that runs like clockwork and constant attention to customer service enable Barcelona-based 365.café to achieve the impossible: supplying 55 bakeries out of a 650-sqm factory.

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Chinese restaurant chain Xibei adopts the lean methodology
October 22, 2015
Chinese restaurant chain Xibei adopts the lean methodology

CASE STUDY – An entire restaurant chain going lean is not something you see every day. Coming all the way from China, Xibei's story of cultural change will inspire you to never forget the fundamentals of lean, from standardization to quality.

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