Albert Heijn-History
Albert Heijn 1602 (Barneveld)
History
Context
Albert Heijn is a big supermarket chain which emerged from a small grocery store that once stood in Oostzaan. The 21-years old Albert Heijn took over the store from his father in 1887. The young Albert Heijn quickly began to expand the store towards other places. Albert also started to sell his self-made cookies and self-burned coffee (Albert Heijn, 2013).
Now Albert Heijn is one of the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands. Quality and customers are of great importance within the formula of Albert Heijn. For this reason all subsidiaries have to have the same style.
In the small village of Barneveld there is also an Albert Heijn. This Albert Heijn was managed by Mr G. Aartsen for more than 15 years. Albert Heijn Barneveld did not experience quite a lot of changes. The only changes where changes of assortment and a small expansion of the shop.
Trigger
The management of Albert Heijn demands that every supermarket manager is managing for a maximum period of 4 years. This is due the fact that a manager could turn into a friend when staying too long on the same position. Another reason is the emerging of business blindness. To prevent this from happening, all managers (except for the franchise shops) have to switch places once in a while. For example: the manager of Utrecht goes to Amsterdam after 4 years, the manager of Amsterdam goes to Groningen and so on.
Philosophy
The manager of Albert Heijn Barneveld was like a father to all the personnel. Mr Aartsen was often called “papa Aartsen” (daddy Aartsen). Mr Aartsen was not just the manager who commands the personnel. He was a kind guy who often smoked in his office (while this was not allowed), he just had his own rules and it worked. When there was a lot of pressure on the personnel he always helped them. For example, during Christmas time he helped stocking the shelves. Mr Aartsen also had a good relationship with the customers.
Change idea
Diagnosis
History
Context
Albert Heijn is a big supermarket chain which emerged from a small grocery store that once stood in Oostzaan. The 21-years old Albert Heijn took over the store from his father in 1887. The young Albert Heijn quickly began to expand the store towards other places. Albert also started to sell his self-made cookies and self-burned coffee (Albert Heijn, 2013).
Now Albert Heijn is one of the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands. Quality and customers are of great importance within the formula of Albert Heijn. For this reason all subsidiaries have to have the same style.
In the small village of Barneveld there is also an Albert Heijn. This Albert Heijn was managed by Mr G. Aartsen for more than 15 years. Albert Heijn Barneveld did not experience quite a lot of changes. The only changes where changes of assortment and a small expansion of the shop.
Trigger
The management of Albert Heijn demands that every supermarket manager is managing for a maximum period of 4 years. This is due the fact that a manager could turn into a friend when staying too long on the same position. Another reason is the emerging of business blindness. To prevent this from happening, all managers (except for the franchise shops) have to switch places once in a while. For example: the manager of Utrecht goes to Amsterdam after 4 years, the manager of Amsterdam goes to Groningen and so on.
Philosophy
The manager of Albert Heijn Barneveld was like a father to all the personnel. Mr Aartsen was often called “papa Aartsen” (daddy Aartsen). Mr Aartsen was not just the manager who commands the personnel. He was a kind guy who often smoked in his office (while this was not allowed), he just had his own rules and it worked. When there was a lot of pressure on the personnel he always helped them. For example, during Christmas time he helped stocking the shelves. Mr Aartsen also had a good relationship with the customers.
Change idea
Diagnosis