Red Bull - for that extra lift when you really need it!

                                                                                           pics: Eddie Mitchell
A man survived an 80ft (24m) fall off a cliff when his car careered off the road and plunged into the sea near Brighton at midnight on Saturday...

The car ‘miraculously’ managed to avoid the concrete promenade at the foot of the cliff after it came off the A259 road near Roedean.

The driver told a fireman at the scene that ‘he just had a Red Bull and it… made him fly’…..

Myners’ striking at core Co-op issues...

Euan Sutherland argued that democracy and values might be vital, but without radical change the whole future of the Co-op business was at risk.

By implication, Lord Myners’ resignation endorses that view.

In practice, the Co-op will not go bust, but may break down into separate societies, each operating and buying without the benefits of scale, and as a consequence becoming less attractive to suppliers in terms of being a counter to the power of the major multiples…

The BBC quotes the Midcounties submission to Lord Myners' re-organisational recommendations: "Among the independent consumer co-operative societies, it is demonstrably the case that it is the most democratic that are the most successful in commercial terms, not the reverse."

No one is claiming that democracy in business does not work, it just takes longer…

And, as even the most consultative CEO’s know - and their teams accept - in crisis conditions a degree of temporary autocracy is essential…

If the Co-op really wants to perform commercially, it means being able to deliver an acceptable ROCE – not the currently depressed 5-10% level currently being delivered by the UK major multiples, but more akin to Walmart’s 19% - a combination of 5% Net profit and a stockturn of 10+ times/annum.

As anyone with commercial experience knows, producing an acceptable surplus of sales over costs – i.e. a source of funds for investment in the business and sharing with members – means aiming at 10% net profit and achieving 5%...

Suppliers are prepared to invest in suitably qualified trade partners a combination of retail margin (25+%), free trade credit of 45+ days, trade investment of up to 20% of retail purchases, and even suffer up to 7% deductions off invoice for failure on their part to meet professional retailer agreements...

All the supplier require in return is fair-share treatment, retail professionalism and 100% compliance, a standard even the major multiples find onerous…

If the Co-op wants a place at the table with the major multiples, and to be treated as a serious ‘invest’ player by key suppliers, it needs to perform commercially, and deliver standards of compliance comparable with other retail players…

A focus on the bottom line can help drive the business in the short term, and managing a gradual improvement in ROCE will provide a longer time-frame, each demonstrating to suppliers that the Co-op qualifies for longer term investment, and means it..

Unfortunately, a £2bn loss is not the best place to start…

A watch for blind people, being bought by sighted people

Pic: Kickstarter                   

The Bradley Timepiece, a watch designed for blind people and named after Bradley Snyder, a Paralympian gold medallist who lost his sight in Afghanistan, is up for design of the year at London's Design Museum. But it's mostly being bought by sighted people, writes Chris Stokel-Walker at the BBC.

Designed to touch and see, around a groove in the centre a ball-bearing rotates to mark the minutes. Around the edge of the watch, another ball bearing rotates to tell the hours.

Realising that less than 10% of visually impaired people can read braille, with a constant battle between functionality and producing a beautiful object, the designers eventually found a solution - a magnet underneath the metal watch face would control two rotating ball bearings for hours and minutes.

Snyder became involved because of his need to use a watch that did not highlight him as someone with a special need. “I love the idea of using the same thing that everyone does. And I want to feel as normal as possible."

With the watch now named the Bradley, there was an appeal on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding website, in July last year - 3,681 people from 65 different countries backed the project, donating a total of $594,602 (£357,290). It will be available for sale from May in the US, with the UK and Europe likely to follow later. According to the BBC, a further 1,000 people have since pre-ordered the watch online but only 1-2% are visually impaired….

A great example of thinking outside the box, breaking away from the erroneous stereotype that visually impaired people are not fashion-conscious...

More details and pics on the Kickstarter site

Nasa explains mysterious “light” on surface of Mars shown in rover pictures...

A Lidl more class please...?

Plans for a Lidl branch in Eastwood, Essex may be turned down for a second time because the building is too boring.

Proposals for a store bigger than an Olympic-size swimming pool at the corner of Progress Road and Rayleigh Road have divided the public. Eastwood Residents’ Association and three-quarters of visitors to a consultation have backed the scheme, but nearby businesses, a 53-signature petition and 78 letters have objected.

Planning officers have recommended Southend Council throw out the plans, as they say a landmark building is needed at the entrance to the Progress Road Industrial Estate.

A pointer for Lidl in terms of keeping pace with the upward adjustment of its place in UK society?

Hammer & Nails, the Nail Shop for Man-NAMs

                                                                                                                                           pic: LA Times
Given the increasing rigors and need for perfection in managing major accounts, it is vital that male and female NAMs operate on an equal footing...

This new service in LA is designed to ease sore muscles of athletic and active men. The Sports Pedicure features hot stones, Hammer & Nails Signature Scrub, foot and leg massage, reflexology, and a hydrating mint clay mask, which stimulates blood circulation. It also includes nail trimming and shaping, cuticle oil and grooming, moisturizing, hot towel wrap, and paraffin treatment.

In fact, all those little things that make a difference to the busy man-NAM, who may feel that out-of-sight is out-of-mind...

Too busy?
For those NAMs not wanting to sacrifice an entire afternoon in a busy schedule, the salon owners have responded to requests from loyal clients who want to stop by and receive a quick treatment before a big meeting, by designing the Express MANicure/Pedicure, that includes nail trimming and shaping, light cuticle grooming, and moisturizing treatments.

Hammer & Nails currently have 1 outlet in LA, with plans to open further branches throughout the US.

Hopefully, it won't be too long before the company respond to pent-up demand by increasing their foot-print to include the UK...

Amazon penetration....

Yesterday I took delivery of a package from Amazon.

It was due between 1230 and 1330 so at 1130 I did a parcel-check to find that ‘Leo’ was currently four streets away on delivery 30, and still had 33 deliveries to make before reaching me at 1245…

Scarey….in terms of both coverage-density and numbers of their deliveries…

7-Eleven bringing real convenience to the UK?

Given the news that 7-Eleven may be re-entering the UK market, it would be unwise to assume that this will simply be a re-iteration of our UK experience in the nineties...

In fact, it could be said that the only way to anticipate their potential influence is to visit some branches in Tokyo...

My personal memories may lend some insight:

There, in the same small outlets you will find a comprehensive range of goods and services catering for every convenience need, with hyper-efficiency.

With 75% of the range permanently in stock, the remaining 25% is rotated up to three times a day, based on customer need:  milk for the school-kids in the morning, bottled water for office workers at mid-day and alcoholic beverages for tired NAMs on the way home in the evening....

A bank of ATMs and terminals for paying utility bills, a small microwave oven for heating snacks line one wall, with newspapers, magazines, books and mail-order pickup facilities lining another.

Outside a home-delivery moped is parked, ready to deliver even 1 SKU orders when required. Whilst the 3,000 SKU shop stocks a handbag-size hairspray, a nearby sub-depot stocks all sizes and variants, allowing the shop to offer a range of 60,000 SKUs to those wanting home delivery...

Oh, in terms of convenience, you will find a branch at the base of most high-rise apartment blocks, with the occupants referring to 7-Eleven as their refrigerator, as convenient to access (a lift-ride away) as the correspondingly small refrigerator in their kitchen...