Moneyball Management: Playing The Labor Stats

By Matt Pillar, chief editor

April 2014 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

Hannaford, a subsidiary of $27.8 billion Delhaize Group, is banking on analytics as the cornerstone of workforce optimization.

Few regional grocers strike the balance between customer service and progressive store systems as well as Hannaford. Central to the sustainability of that balance is the 180-store New England retailer’s close attention to the details that drive labor optimization and the sophisticated technology to back it up. Hannaford stores are staffed by almost 26,000 associates, and ensuring their optimal performance is Jeremy Stevens, manager of labor productivity.

Recently, Hannaford has been exploring the concept of Sabermetrics — the real-life science behind the objective analysis of baseball players portrayed in the movie Moneyball. Hannaford executives believe the concept has the potential to further improve its track record of workforce productivity.