C.O.M.P.A.S.$®

The Ryan C.O.M.P.A.S.$® Retail Navigation System® is a unique and proprietary consulting framework developed by Peter James Ryan to help retailers simply & easily navigate the complex trade-offs between strategic direction and tactical need in order to achieve true north™ – sustainable profit growth.

The system works by constructively auditing the business within a competitive context and bench-marking to relevant best practice, developing a shared understanding of strategic direction and breaking down the critical implementation path, while providing a flexible framework for tactical maneuvering. It does this through all the essential areas of the business – the points of the COMPAS$®.

Cultural Behaviours

We believe in the concept of “Profit Through People”. However, experience has taught us that cultural change in retail takes too much time, money and energy to affect. Behavioural change however can be instant. At the end of the day the most important element in performance is actually behaviour. We benchmark the culture to understand it’s individual nuances, language and motivators – not to change them – but to work with them to achieve sustainable behavioural shifts which realign human performance to achieve targeted retail outcomes.

Organisational Model

Understanding the core competencies, value chain and processes of the retailer allows us to play to the strengths of the organization while providing a remedial framework for major gaps.

Merchandise

At the end of the day, the essential repeat purchase device will always be the products and services the customer purchases. Understanding how to structure the merchandise offer in order to maximize financial return, strengthen customer relationships and brand franchises and drive productivity improvement is the most important point on the COMPAS$®

Promotion

Retail is a game of incremental growth and promotion assists the business to acquire, stimulate and retain customers. It must work in tandem with Merchandise, Selling Environment and Access in order to support the business to achieve critical objectives. This point of the COMPAS$® focuses specifically on knowing and understanding the motivations and purchase behaviour of the brand evangelists – the most frequent and highest value customers – and your staff and developing frameworks to best reach, stimulate, retain and activate them as a sales force in themselves.

Access

Coverage is becoming a productivity exercise rather than pure geographical expansion. The channels, the operating hours and customer convenience are all subject to returns – for the customer R.O.T.™ (return on time) and for the business R.O.I. (return on investment).

Selling Environments

Still the central interaction point of any retail enterprise, the selling environment is as much a communication device as it is a retail sales space. It is the primary element in the mix that shapes customer experience and their lasting impression – the brand. As retail theatre, it is a multi-sensory combination of stage design, props, actors and script, culminating in a rewarding experience for both customer and retailer. Yet it must always work in a complemenatry way with the increasingly diverse range of channels retailers are using to reach their customers.

$Dollars

Retail is one of the most rapidly moving forms of commercial endeavor. Understanding the drivers of capital inflow, revenue, cash flow, cost, contribution, return and profit within the retail business and each area of the value chain of that business anchors the thinking in sound economic waters.

A COMPAS$ analysis of your business

Peter can come and perform a COMPAS$ analysis of your business. To organise this simply contact us »