Connection point : the intersection of organization and community

Abstract

This inquiry explores the notion of how an urban grocery store might improve its connection to the local community. Through interviews with four subject matter experts, sessions with the store management team, and an online customer survey, I assess the characteristics that allow the store to form a stronger connection to the community. Contributors were actual customers, allowing me to provide very specific feedback to the sponsor. My findings show that there is a strong link between positive one-on-one interactions that affect recurrence for grocery shoppers; cleanliness has significant interaction with high quality, fair prices, and good selection; and sporting team jerseys worn by the staff reflect positively towards the customer's view of the store being a good community citizen. I conclude that organizations cannot connect directly with communities; however, staff can connect with individual shoppers, thereby contributing to the store's association to the community.