GoLocal Board Member, Tom Scott, Interviewed by North Bay Business Journal

Oct. 21, 2011

Tom Scott, Oliver’s Market: Be in touch with your customers

By Eric Gneckow, North Bay Business Journal Staff Reporter

October 17, 2011

Tell us about Oliver’s Markets and your involvement with the company.

Oliver’s Markets operates three supermarkets in Sonoma County. We are locally owned and offer a wide variety natural and conventional groceries, high quality perishables and restaurant-quality prepared foods; focusing on local products whenever possible. I am the vice president and general manager, and have been with Oliver’s since 1990.

How does Oliver’s remain competitive amid an increasing number of competitors, some of which being national chains?

We have to stay pretty nimble. We never take our customers for granted, and we work hard to provide value in every part of our stores. We are constantly looking for competitive advantages arising from our ability to react quickly and leverage our proximity and understanding of our customers. With three stores, we enjoy substantial economies of scale, but we can turn on a dime and react to opportunities quickly. Because we live here in Sonoma County, we share the sensibilities of our customers. Our kids attend the same schools as our customer’s kids. We share an appreciation of the great agricultural community that gives Sonoma County its unique flavor. We know that things grown here really do taste better. National chains, especially those that are publicly traded, are ultimately managed by folks who live somewhere else and thankfully don’t really get it.

Read the full interview in the North Bay Business Journal.