When a national supermarket chain with more than 950 stores began losing ground to competitors, the warning signs were clear. Customer satisfaction was falling, sales were under pressure, and price based competition was becoming harder to win. Leadership recognised that continuing to compete on scale and discounting would not create long term advantage. A different approach was needed.

That decision marked the beginning of a conscious leadership journey focused on people, purpose and everyday execution.

Starting with insight, not assumptions

The engagement began with a clear diagnostic phase. Together with Small and Mighty Group Executive Director, Torben Soelvsteen and an academic partner, the business reviewed performance data and conducted customer surveys across the network. The aim was to establish a baseline and understand what customers felt was missing from their experience.

The insight was consistent. Customers did not want faster checkouts or cheaper products alone. They wanted to feel seen, supported and valued. Service quality, not price, was the differentiator.

From this work, a national service program was designed and rolled out across the country. Its intent was simple and ambitious. Create a service experience that sets the brand apart, without adding cost or complexity.

One store that took it further

Among the many stores involved, one stood out. The store manager saw the opportunity to embed the program deeply into everyday behaviour rather than treat it as a campaign.

The first design principle was practical discipline. Every action had to be achievable every day, regardless of staffing levels or customer flow. It also had to cost nothing extra to deliver.

Leadership began by bringing together department managers to shape ideas, followed by a full staff forum. Every team member was invited to contribute, challenge and prioritise initiatives. The result was a shared plan owned by the people delivering it, not imposed from above.

Small behaviours, big impact

One of the simplest initiatives proved to be one of the most powerful. Staff were encouraged to walk against the flow of customers through the store. This made eye contact natural and greetings effortless.

Customer feedback quickly changed. Many reported that more staff must have been employed, even though staffing levels were unchanged. Store theft also dropped significantly, driven by increased awareness and presence.

Another shift was how staff responded to customer questions. Instead of pointing to an aisle, they walked customers to the product. This created space for conversation about what customers were cooking or buying, allowing relevant suggestions and alternatives if items were out of stock. Customers were also consistently guided to the main product placement, where range and choice were strongest.

Sales grew because customers felt supported, inspired and confident in their choices.

Empowerment at the checkout

Trust was extended further at the checkout. Staff were given the freedom to resolve issues on the spot. Discounts could be applied when it made sense for the customer. Pricing errors were fixed immediately. Additional checkouts were opened as soon as queues began to build, with a clear goal of no more than four people waiting at any time.

Attention to detail mattered. Eggs were checked and secured. Groceries were separated to avoid damage. Scanning speed adjusted to the customer, not the system or staff member.

These small moments reduced waste, improved flow and lifted satisfaction across the store.

Staff were also encouraged to use discretion to create human moments. Offering fruit to children, peeling a banana for a toddler, or calming a distressed shopper with a small bakery treat. The cost was negligible. The return came through increased loyalty and spending.

When culture holds itself accountable

Perhaps the strongest signal of change came when staff began holding leaders to account. One department manager shared, with good humour, that he had been corrected by team members for pointing a customer to a checkout display rather than walking them to the main aisle. The staff knew that choice limited the customer’s options and experience by sending them to an only two product options at the check out. Where they would properly just leave it their favourite wasn’t one of the two.

Leadership commitment deepened as they saw the culture policing itself.

Customers noticed too. In a leadership discussion at another company Royal Copenhagen, a senior executive described their local supermarket experience in glowing terms, without prompting. The behaviours had become so embedded that shopping elsewhere felt frustrating by comparison. Loyalty followed naturally.

Results that spoke for themselves

The outcomes were significant. Customer satisfaction lifted from a score of 5 to 95 on a 100 point scale. Financial performance shifted from a million dollar loss to a 200 percent increase in operating profit within two years.

Staff engagement surged. The store manager continued reinforcing the culture through visible appreciation, including recognising checkout staff during peak trading periods. Customers talked about a store where employees were valued and visible. Advocacy spread organically.

What this case reinforces

This story is not about retail tactics. It is about leadership choices.

By focusing on customers, empowering staff and aligning daily behaviour with shared purpose, the business unlocked innovation and accountability at the frontline. The result outperformed traditional approaches driven by mandates and KPIs alone.

As the saying goes, team members and customers are two wings of a bird. Both are needed to fly.

The conscious leadership approach led by the store’s senior leader, Henrik Svendsen, continued to deliver advantage in one of the most competitive markets in the country and supported his progression into senior sales leadership roles at head office level.

For organisations navigating margin pressure and competitive intensity, the lesson is clear. Sustainable growth is built through clarity, trust and execution at the human level.