In 2009, Michael Pammer won the
'Lukullus' Award for the best meat and sausage store in Austria.
This prize, named after the Roman Lord Lucius Lucullus, who was
renowned for his abundant and exaggerated feasts, is fitting for a
man who strives to meet his customers every need.
Firstly, please introduce
yourself
I was born in Austria 33 years ago and I grew up between the
washing powders and the toilet paper in the SPAR store run by my
mother, Grete! She began her career as an employee in the first
SPAR store in Graz and opened her own supermarket in Stallhofen in
1979. The store had a total of three employees and after school and
during vacations, I often helped out. When I finished my secondary
education, I completed a degree at the Federal Academy of
Commercial Studies where I learnt about retail and wholesale
trading on a broad level. In August 2009, I married my wife Karin.
She also regularly works in the supermarket with me but
particularly on special occasions such as if we have an invited VIP
guest visiting, have a store opening or just need the additional
support. She is always there for me when I need help.
Where is your SPAR store
located?
Our supermarket is situated in the countryside of the
Austrian Alps. It is important to offer our customers as many
options as possible. We open at 6:00am to give students and
commuters the possibility to do their shopping early in the
morning. Not only in the winter during heavy snow, but all year
around we offer home delivery to our customers which they
appriciate.
Describe your
customers
Many families from the region, including as far as 10km
away, shop in our supermarket. Although the town of Stallhofen has
approximately 3,000 residents, we sell to around 6,000 families.
Several years ago a senior citizens home was built and many of the
residents are now regular customers. This group of consumers led me
to think about obtaining a shopping trolley for people with
disabilities. We now have a shopping trolley which can simply be
attached to a wheelchair, giving independence back to those
shoppers with a disability.
Shoppers were so enthusiastic about
this initiative that they submitted an article to a local newspaper
which resulted in even more publicity for us.
Please share the shopping
pattern of your customers
Most people purchase either locally supplied products or those from
the region. We sell a large quantity of meat, fruit, vegetables and
also many products from the private label 'Free From' range which
are free of gluten and lactose. Our customers eat primarily typical
Austrian dishes with a little Italian influence. Here in Austria we
eat a lot of meat. Since we won the Lukullus prize, our sausage and
meat department has become a destination department. During the
Easter period, we had a massive shoulder of beef on the counter and
people came especially into the store to buy a piece. We also
purchase honey, wine, cheese and pumpkin oil from local farmers.
These products are very popular with our customers and make up a
significant part of our turnover. However we also offer a wide
variety of services and a full product selection too!
How did it feel to win the
Lukullus award?
I was already honoured to be one of the 50 nominated retailers and
then I was fortunate enough to win the award in November 2009.
Although it is very difficult to
measure and the regional publicity
definitely generated a possibly short-term growth, we have seen a
noticeable increase in the sales of sausages. Funnily enough, my
wife and I were on our honeymoon when the inspector visited our
supermarket. Our temporary replacement kept the supermarket in
fantastic condition. The prize is not only awarded on the quality
of the meat but also on the presentation, the hygiene and of course
the level of customer service which is provided. You have many
ideas.
What do you consider to be
a high point as a SPAR retailer?
The opening of the supermarket will always be an important
moment for me. Initially I used to work with a team in a sales area
of 350m2 but now my work has changed to me leading a team 19 people
with a selling area of 800m2. It is of the utmost importance to
keep our customers front of mind, to know not only what they expect
but what can pleasantly surprise them. My whole life has been
linked to SPAR from the time of my birth, to even our marriage
which was held on a national holiday so our staff could celebrate
this important date with us when the store was closed.