Tanbir Grover is an accomplished and popular retail leader recently drawn back to the retail industry that he has called home for so many years. Now after nearly a year as the Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Canadian pet supply retailer, PetValu, Tanbir has a host of insights to share on PetValu’s omnichannel brand positioning within the greater scope of retail marketing and eCommerce.
Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada.
Tanbir Grover is an accomplished and popular retail leader recently drawn back to the retail industry that he has called home for so many years.
Now after nearly a year as the Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Canadian pet supply retailer, PetValu, Tanbir has a host of insights to share on PetValu’s omnichannel brand positioning within the greater scope of retail marketing and eCommerce.
Tanbir returns to The Voice of Retail to talk about retail marketing trends, the opportunities on PetValu’s horizon and what it’s like to actualize the potential of a brand in a highly competitive space and build an agile team during the COVID era.
Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.
I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!
Until next time, stay safe and have a great week!
Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Conversations with CommerceNext, Global E-Commerce Tech Talks and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.
Michael is also the producer and host of the all new Last Request Barbecue, the hottest, smokiest new BBQ channel to hit the virtual food space this year!
Michael LeBlanc 00:04
Welcome to The Voice of Retail, I'm your host Michael LeBlanc. This podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada.
Michael LeBlanc 00:10
Tanbir Grover is an accomplished and popular retail leader recently drawn back to the retail industry that he has called home for so many years.
Michael LeBlanc 00:17
Now after nearly a year as the Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Canadian pet supply retailer, PetValu, Tanbir has a host of insights to share on PetValu's omnichannel brand positioning within the greater scope of retail marketing, and eCommerce.
Michael LeBlanc 00:31
Tanbir returns to The Voice of Retail to talk about retail marketing trends, the opportunities on PetValu's horizon, and what it's like to actualize the potential of a brand in a highly competitive space and build an agile team during the COVID era.
Tanbir Grover 00:44
Our stores, our community impact are big part of our play. Our ACEs, which I guess mention, the Animal Care Enthusiast, are a big part of what we bring to the table as experts that really resonates with our DPLs. I think the other thing we want to bring is choice and convenience. And when I say choice, and convenience is the different ways you can shop. So, click and collect, you want to ship it to your door, and we'll be able to do that. And really start building out some of those omnichannel capabilities.
Michael LeBlanc 01:13
Let's listen in now.
Michael LeBlanc 01:15
Tanbir, welcome back to The Voice of Retail podcast. How are you my friend?
Tanbir Grover 01:19
I'm doing great, Michael, it's good to be back. It's been a It's been a long time since we've connected.
Michael LeBlanc 01:24
You know, I think the last time you and I we did an interview in person, imagine that.
Tanbir Grover 01:29
Can you believe that?
Michael LeBlanc 01:31
IRL. Well, this is the next best thing. And I should say welcome back to retail because you, you left us, as an industry, for a little bit. We'll talk about, a little bit about that. And then you're back. So, it's kind of a double welcome back. So, it's a real treat,
Tanbir Grover 01:45
No, much appreciated.
Michael LeBlanc 01:46
Yeah, it's real, real treat to get you back on the mic. And you got a great new gig. And I want to talk all about that. But you know, let's jump in. So, for the those who may have not heard our earlier podcast, and I encourage them to back-in and listen to that as well. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and what you do now at PetValu.
Tanbir Grover 02:04
Sure, so, you know, currently I'm the Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at PetValu. Been doing this job since November of 2020. So, started here during COVID. Prior to this, I took that small hiatus outside of retail and went to the Co-operators Group, where I was leading up the digital team there, and really looking at how we would digitize the idea of selling insurance and even providing levels of service around some of the other products other than insurance.
Tanbir Grover 02:34
And Previous to that I spent probably the 12 years of my life in retail. And you know, as you and I have always discussed, you know,
Michael LeBlanc 02:40
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 02:40
The majority of that at Lowe's and then a stent over at Hudson's Bay. And then prior to that a small stint over at Sears , where kind of learned the eCommerce chops and,
Michael LeBlanc 02:51
Right on,
Tanbir Grover 02:51
More finesse to the eCommerce business over time. So, it's been a, it's been a lot of retail experience with that small little break for insurance and then, you know, to PetValu, which, which I think has been a really great fit for me just based on size and scale and the opportunity to lean in into the marketing side. And round out my skill set given that I've done digital for the most part.
Michael LeBlanc 03:12
Yeah, right on, right on it. And I should mention that you and I intersected kind of boats passing in the night, so to speak at HBC. What an interesting world HBC is today, you know, spinning off their eComm and, and their store stuff. So, maybe you and I can talk about that over a cocktail someday?
Tanbir Grover 03:29
Yeah, very fascinating, for sure to sort of see that and see the paddle that sort of, you know, unfolding to,
Michael LeBlanc 03:35
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 03:35
To what I say is retail, the retail sort of norms or survival, or taking a chance like and I think
Michael LeBlanc 03:40
Yeah, yeah.
Tanbir Grover 03:41
Forever, for whatever choices they're making, you know, they're making mindful choices, which I really,
Michael LeBlanc 03:45
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 03:45
Think are important and, and
Michael LeBlanc 03:47
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 03:47
They're trying to do what's best for their shareholders and their, and their customers and their people.
Michael LeBlanc 03:51
Yep.
Tanbir Grover 03:51
So, we'll watch it and hopefully support it given the iconic brand and the history it's had in Canada, for sure.
Michael LeBlanc 03:58
Let's get back to you. Let's talk about PetValu. You know, it's obviously a name that anyone listening would know of, but they may not know all the scope and scale and the banners and you know, where do you, where do you have stores? Are you international,
Tanbir Grover 04:11
Yeah,
Michael LeBlanc 04:11
All that stuff? So, give us give us the 411?
Tanbir Grover 04:13
So, yeah, for sure. So, you, PetValu has 600 stores coast to coast, and not in Quebec so coast to coast with an asterix, I'd say. But when eCommerce obviously selling into Quebec. It's a, it's a small format type of stores, we've got 600 locations, and a very franchise focused effort around it. So, over 300 of our stores are franchise based as well. As I mentioned, a small footprint. So, it's curated product selection really, really focused on our expertise and what our aces, who are Animal Care experts in our stores, what we call them, really that, what the service level they can deliver to and then the experience itself. I mean, you know the good things about being very local and very expertise is that you can become a very quick neighborhood shop.
Michael LeBlanc 04:58
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 04:59
A very quick destination for all of your pet needs, from your food to your treats all the way to your crates and toys and all the fun stuff that goes alongside pets.
Michael LeBlanc 05:10
Now 600 stores aren't, are they all in Canada? Do you have stores in the US?
Tanbir Grover 05:14
All in Canada, so yeah, all in Canada, is where we're, where we're based.
Michael LeBlanc 05:20
Well, and I can echo my personal experience, I have a doggo now. Got just before that, just be-, not a pandemic puppy. Because to be fair, we got him like before the pandemic, but just,
Tanbir Grover 05:28
Yeah,
Michael LeBlanc 05:29
And so now we're on the dog and, and our local PetValu at to Applewood in Mississauga, they're great. I mean, they're exactly as you describe them. They know their market, they know their people. And you guys got great toys, by the way, just, just
Tanbir Grover 05:43
Thank you.
Michael LeBlanc 05:43
Some really fun toys, my dog loves your toys.
Tanbir Grover 05:47
Isn't it, one of the things that I've really cherished, working at PetValu, it's the, it's the fun-ness of the brand. It's the, it's the ability to kind of be, be cheeky, be quirky,
Michael LeBlanc 05:58
Yeah
Tanbir Grover 05:58
Be fun, but at the same time really try to resonate with what our customers, and we call our customers, our "Devoted Pet Lovers", what our DPLs are looking for. So, how does our DPL really, you know, become the center of our marketing activities, of our merchant decisions? And how do we put them first, and then everything else surrounds them in terms of how we look at trying to solve their, their experience, you know, how to deliver great experiences, but also how to solve traditional problems of what you're trying to solve for, like, teeth, food,
Michael LeBlanc 06:29
Play, entertainment,
Tanbir Grover 06:31
Health, play, all those things that, that, you know, are part of that lifestyle of being a pet owner.
Michael LeBlanc 06:35
Now, are you a pet owner? Did you arrive with pets? Are you
Tanbir Grover 06:38
Well funny enough, when I, when I took on this role, that was one of the questions I had to ask was, you know, I'm not currently a pet owner,
Michael LeBlanc 06:44
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 06:45
Today, because I also have two young kids and at this time and being taking the job during COVID really constrained us because obviously the kids were at home,
Michael LeBlanc 06:53
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 06:53
For their schooling. So, we've kind of gone back and forth. And my wife's been a pet owner for almost most of her life until she got married to me. And now we're sort of in that consideration set of, yes,
Michael LeBlanc 07:04
She had enough, she had enough on her hands with you. So basically,
Tanbir Grover 07:07
She had enough, yeah, enough. Yeah. And then, you know, with everything going on, it was like, should we do it? Let's put a pause, let's kind of wait until post COVID, and then this is the kind of comeback. So, the girls are, are very interested in becoming pet owners now. And, you know, we may start with not a traditional dog or cat but something even smaller or something a little more,
Michael LeBlanc 07:25
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 07:25
Like a hamster or gerbil type thing and, or even, even a lizard of some sort. But our approach is really, you know, we would like to, we would like to first sort of think through the responsibility, the time,
Michael LeBlanc 07:39
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 07:39
And the commitment and figuring out how to make the right decision so that we do it right.
Michael LeBlanc 07:42
Oh, yeah, man, it's, it's busy. And we, we didn't have a pet for a while, I had one when I was a kid, but it is a big commitment. I mean, they become a big part of the family. And depending on the pet you get, you know, we've got a big German Shepherd Rottweiler, so, you know,
Tanbir Grover 07:56
Wow,
Michael LeBlanc 07:57
It's a it's a doggo, that "A", likes its food?
Tanbir Grover 08:01
Yeah,
Michael LeBlanc 08:01
So, you make good money from Origin from me.
Tanbir Grover 08:04
Yeah.
Michael LeBlanc 08:04
Which is great food, by the way. Shout out to your merchants, because that's, uh, you know, we love investing in the best products for the dog because we think it keeps them out of veterinary, veterinaries
Tanbir Grover 08:15
For sure,
Michael LeBlanc 08:15
You know, keeps them out of the way. And then, then just great play. Anyway, so why PetValu?
Tanbir Grover 08:19
Yeah,
Michael LeBlanc 08:20
Listen, listen, you've got a, you know, eCommerce, great acceleration, I got to think you could have had a choice of many great retailers, in the fullness of time, what attracted you to the PetValu?
Tanbir Grover 08:31
Well, I mean, truthfully, I wasn't really even looking to leave Co-operators at the time. You know, I got a call from, from Richard, who's the President and CEO of PetValu. And he was a former boss of a boss at Lowe's.
Michael LeBlanc 08:44
Right, right.
Tanbir Grover 08:45
And he had approached me about the opportunity. And one of the things that I really, you know, really, really liked about it was the idea of growth and where the growth engine was going and where this business was sort of, he was trying to take the vision of this business.
Tanbir Grover 08:58
So, they were going through a number of what I would call evolutions, right? One was a digital evolution where they were just starting to really lean into the digital platforms. And we you and I would call omnichannel,
Michael LeBlanc 09:10
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 09:11
Still would consider omnichannel selling, but you know, PetValu was still really early into that, into that space. In fact, we launched our coast-to-coast eCommerce business in 2021 in February, so you know, we were further behind in some of our competitors. So, I think that was a very attractive opportunity again, to go again and help do a digital transformation, help build a digital platform. And my experience has been doing a lot of that. So you know, I seem to thrive and enjoy those, building those experiences and then building the teams and support that.
Tanbir Grover 09:41
And then the other big opportunity for me was really to lean into to marketing,
Michael LeBlanc 09:45
Right,
Tanbir Grover 09:45
And you know, I have not had a very traditional marketing background. The opportunity to go in with a digital first mindset was something that was really interesting and captivated me in many different ways to say, you know what, I have like the experiences. I might not have done certain things here and here and here. But, you know what if I hire the right people, I have the right team around me and I have the right sort of acumen around what I'm trying to accomplish, really anchored in digital and then supported by others, then how can we do this as part of the overall marketing mix?
Michael LeBlanc 10:17
Right,
Tanbir Grover 10:18
So ,
Michael LeBlanc 10:18
It's a big, it's a big remit, though, right? I mean, I'm seeing it more and more this combination of marketing and eCommerce, but it's, it's a big category it's a broad swath, whether you've been an eCommerce expert, or a marketing expert, or both, like, when you, when you think about it, do you see that as a big future for many retailers that they put these two roles together?
Tanbir Grover 10:38
I do. Because I, you know, part of you, what you and I've even chatted about is like the attribution and how it all gets played out. And ultimately, what we have to think about is what marketing and eCommerce and digital are really doing is, they're really taking a more of a experiential role. They're playing that role of what is the customer's experience going to look like? How do we make that customer experience come to us? How do we make that experience come to life in our stores? And then how do we deliver that experience in the last mile, or even post the store purchase?
Tanbir Grover 11:07
And you know, you think about what unifies all of this, of the customer experience is also a big part of that is the loyalty program. And having a robust loyalty program really allows you to do two things. One is to get the data and the analytics out of it, which you can then use to, to do a better job marketing and obviously changes the dynamics of using first party data versus a second- or third-party data set. But what's more important to that even is that you're also able to engage with your customers in a different way that allows for that experience to transcend over time. And you could actually have that as a marketer, as a loyalty play, or as a digital play, because a lot of those platforms are, are going into the digital for right now.
Michael LeBlanc 11:48
Right. So, how are you thinking? I mean, as you said, you know, you joined PetValu at the intersection of a great time. Certainly, the categories got a big tailwind from the pandemic puppy and you've got eCommerce growth, but it's a competitive category, right? You get lots of great competitors, lots of great retailers in the space, you got big box stores, who,
Tanbir Grover 12:07
Absolutely
Michael LeBlanc 12:08
You know, a lot of these, I see growth in the, you know, when I walked through a couple local big box stores, I see the pet category getting bigger not smaller. I mean,
Tanbir Grover 12:15
Yeah,
Michael LeBlanc 12:16
Everyone sees the opportunity. So, so how does PetValu really establish itself and win? I mean, you hinted at the kind of smaller format, known in my community,
Tanbir Grover 12:25
Yeah,
Michael LeBlanc 12:26
From your perspective, what else, what else do you bring?
Tanbir Grover 12:28
To me, you know, I would say that, that our, our stores, our community impact are a big part of our play. Our ACEs, which I guess mentioned, the Animal Care Enthusiasts are a big part of what we bring to the table as experts that really resonates with our DPLs.
Tanbir Grover 12:45
I think the other thing we want to bring is choice and convenience. And when I say choice and convenience is the different ways you can shop, so click and collect, you want to ship it to your door, we'll be able to do that. And really start building out some of those omnichannel capabilities. You know, thinking even about subscriptions and thinking about how we would just allow for customers to do different things that would be part of their experiential component.
Tanbir Grover 13:11
I think the other thing that separates us a bit from the, from the mass merchants is also we do offer the grooming as,
Michael LeBlanc 13:17
Right,
Tanbir Grover 13:17
Well, as the dog washing services. So, that allows us to lean into that specialty service a little bit more,
Michael LeBlanc 13:23
Do you find that, do you find that sticky with your customers, that they, they come back for that, you know, while their pickup,
Tanbir Grover 13:29
For those that value it, for those that value it really do value it and you do want to participate in it. I think it's part of what we're always evaluating is, you know, is it you know, who in our DPL segment is using it? Why are they using it? And how do we sort of optimize that service? You know, it's, it's one of those things where in pet specialty, it's a great thing to have, but there's different ways to serve that up.
Michael LeBlanc 13:52
Let's talk about marketing and marketing trends. So, you know, when I talked to retailers coast to coast, they talked about the power of social media, you know, particularly when stores were closed that became the browsing vehicle, whether, and you know, Instagram, Snapchat, all these things, what, what tactics are you looking at that are particularly exciting, or are working for you, or you think are our growth opportunities in the future?
Tanbir Grover 14:14
Well, yeah, I think, I think, you know, if we rewind back in time, being a part of what was also happening is part of my mandate was really to transform some of the marketing to become more digitally savvy, more inclined. Traditionally, you know, we were a much more traditional print shop, you know, we did a little bit of TV in Q4, you know, had, had sort of less of a media mix around digital. So, when I joined, that was one of the things that I know, I tried to lean into was, you know, how do we sort of just up the game on the digital side?
Tanbir Grover 14:44
So, you know, when it comes to, you know, where PetValu is going, is our stores are still our number one asset, like 600 locations across the country, think of how convenient it is, even from a digital perspective. Because,
Michael LeBlanc 14:55
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 14:55
You've got 600 pick-up locations across the country.
Michael LeBlanc 14:58
Yeah.
Tanbir Grover 14:58
So, part of the, part of the, the outlook we really had was let's look at what we have in market first and really figure out how do we optimize that? So, the first opportunity really came through, which was, how do we think about our, especially COVID helped with it, which is how do we just think about what's going on in the print side? And where are we seeing that and leaning more into the digital components of print, right? So, using, you know, the likes of a flip or (inaudible) to support us in terms of what we're trying to do to get some of that, those eyeballs going.
Tanbir Grover 15:25
We've leaned heavily into social. And part of the reason we leaned heavily into social is that it's a fun brand. There's a lot that we can share,
Michael LeBlanc 15:34
Right,
Tanbir Grover 15:34
A lot with,
Michael LeBlanc 15:34
Great visual, dogs, great, pics are fun, right? Right on,
Tanbir Grover 15:38
Right, great engagement, you know, all of that, all of those activities are there. And kind of way we think about your, your portfolio of how you're designing it goes still goes back to me in that traditional marketing funnel of, you're trying to figure out what you want to put in the upper funnel, and then how do you want to drive the lower funnel? And part of it was trying to really figure out how do we, how do we use some of that brand muscle where we can tell people what PetValu is.
Tanbir Grover 16:00
And my biggest shock and surprise, in being a non pet owner, you know, I'm not surprised by it, but, you know, there's three PetValus in the neighborhood I live in. Why doesn't that brand sort of resonate as it pops off the store? Why don't I recognize that brand as much as I would a Nike store or some other type of thing?
Tanbir Grover 16:15
So, part of the thought process was is that we've got these locations, how do we amplify and magnify this asset that we have, and try to utilize it. So, you know, we also tried to lean into certain campaigns. We did our first sort of broader campaign in, in, in June around pride, and you know, very, very proud of the PetValu team for what we put into it to support. You know, we literally found a, a project that really was telling the story of how rescue dogs were helping the LGBTQ plus community. And we thought such a connection in that and such, it resonated with all of our DPLs about like, what is the relationship between your pet to you. And that's where we, that's where I think PetValu's is really leaning into is, is really trying to understand that relationship, how build that relationship help, you know, just show that relationship in many different ways and be there to help that journey kind of happen.
Tanbir Grover 17:11
So, we leaned into that, and in a way that we were able to do multi, you know, a multimedia approach to it in both in digital and print and, and in TV as well. So, we've you know, we've kind of tried to take that mix approach of like, let's think about things in the media mix. Let's think about things in the upper funnel, let's think,
Michael LeBlanc 17:29
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 17:29
About of things on the lower funnel. And let's try to put this together. And really, if you think about it, for 2021, we're still on the test and learn journey. We're trying to do a number of things to learn and figure things out. And really, just be, have fun with it. Like, you know, the team has really been told is you know, you have room to try things you have room to, you know, hit the reset button, if you have to. You have time you have time to figure out, if this is gonna work or something else is gonna work. Let's try to really think about why we want to do it. And let's not just do it, because we did it last year or the year before.
Michael LeBlanc 17:48
You know, your, your remit again, is broad. So, let's talk about stores, not something you and I would talk about exactly other than the intersection of online, but let's talk about stores. I mean, as you said, 600 stores. It's a fantastic presence. And, and of course, stores are so important for a whole bunch of reasons. If you were standing in your typical store, you know, today, tomorrow or five years from today, what, what and how is PetValu thinking about the role of their stores and what that experience looks like? You know, today I walk into some of the PetValues and it's pretty functional, there's always a cat moving around or a dog which is really cute. And then you know, I go get my product. And, and it's you know, sometimes the stores are tighter, smaller for, footprint.
Tanbir Grover 18:45
Yeah,
Michael LeBlanc 18:45
Do you see, and how do you see that evolving over the next couple of years?
Tanbir Grover 18:49
Yeah, so I mean, I think, I think we, we like the, the format, obviously we'd like to go with our smaller stores make them just slightly bigger. So, we can get a little bit more product stored in there and do a little bit more of the services if we wanted to or had to. You know, that's one of the challenges around curation is how much curation can you do?
Tanbir Grover 19:05
But, you know, when I look at our stores, I think our stores do a great job they're, they're clean lines, they're stocked with product they've got, you know, what we consider the right product for our DPLs, really where I see the opportunity is more of the intersection of the digital and the physical formatting and making that all more seamless and just more experiential. I think part of where we'd like to sort of see it also go is that, that the store can also become a social spot, it can be a place where, you know, you're you know, we obviously encourage you to bring your pets to our store, you know, we love it, but how do we sort of see that happen more, just happened more, let's call it that
Michael LeBlanc 19:43
More organically, so to speak,
Tanbir Grover 19:45
More organically more naturally, you know, having a little bit more of that. And, you know, we have events that we run from a, from a, you know, from a community perspective or our national adoptions. You know, how do we see that sort of just again happening more organically more naturally as we see it. And then there's stuff that I wish I could tell you that I'm working on but I am, I am governed by some privacy stuff that I'm not allowed to share. So, you know, when I, when I can tell you that I definitely will be the one to break the story here on some of the future stuff that we got to.
Michael LeBlanc 20:16
Oh, fantastic and and, and it adds a whole new dynamic to your background, the franchisee dynamic, right? I've been in franchisee organizations as well, and it's another stakeholder, such an important stakeholder to consider in everything they're doing.
Tanbir Grover 20:29
But there's such a good stakeholder in so many ways, because if you think, you know, I go back to having worked in corporate, and many times in corporate as you know, you're, you're just downloading and it's being accepted. And maybe there's some grumbling and whatever not.
Michael LeBlanc 20:41
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 20:41
But in the franchise community, what's really cool about it is they're the owner operator, and they are passionate, and they care deeply. If something doesn't work for them, you will know about it. And it's, you know, it's, it's really positive, because I think that's a healthy tension in order to deliver a better result.
Michael LeBlanc 20:58
Yeah.
Tanbir Grover 20:59
And they challenge it, which is really different from corporate where I think, you know, you're, it's more of just, 'Okay, we got it from HQ or head office'.
Michael LeBlanc 21:06
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 21:06
Let's go to, and you see it in our stores, too, right, you see that passion of the owner operator really coming through in our stores, in terms of the way they service, our DPLs and the way they engage with our DPLs and then also in the way that we see the recurring customer come back, because they've created such a great service level and a great sort of experience, that why would you go anywhere else?
Michael LeBlanc 21:30
Right, and I've always seen them exactly as you do this, this tremendous asset, because not only are they in their community, they, they're an owner, right? So, they're, they're more invested than then you can ever imagine. And their feedback is, you know, managing programs and executing programs, it can be a it can be an amazing thing.
Michael LeBlanc 21:48
Well, what's next for PetValu? It's not as if there's not a lot of next going on. But you've talked about a bunch of those things. I mean, we're heading into the next phase of the COVID era. I guess you kind of manage whether stores are open stores are closed. How are you, how are you thinking about your team? Because you, you know, I talked to a lot of retailers and executives about hybrid work and, you know, people who are working off-site and on-site, is that something that occupies say, you and the executives time a little bit?
Tanbir Grover 22:16
Absolutely. I mean, we're, we're, we need to I mean, at the heart of our business is our people. So, you know, this business doesn't exist if you don't have the people behind it all. And you know, I think as we think about our teams, we are thinking about what's the right approach, what's the right way to go,
Michael LeBlanc 22:31
Right,
Tanbir Grover 22:32
To market? And how do we, how do we align to not just being, you know, to not just being like, we're going to do this because we think it's right, but also to support what we think is broadly happening in our industry as well. Part of that, you know, is working with the Retail Council of Canada, part of it is also understanding some of the stuff that's happening provincially,
Michael LeBlanc 22:51
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 22:51
And federally as we go through this, but as I think through you know, we're, we're you know how we've handled the COVID pieces it's been, I'm, I'm very impressed. Like even being onboarded, during COVID would have told me what I thought would have been super difficult. But the team was, was hungry, was welcoming was, was great in terms of just let's do it, let's kind of figure out how we can sort of alter the course of our business, how we can try things, change things. So, that's been really great.
Tanbir Grover 23:17
We've had some level of ability to have some hybrid meetings where you know, now that at least there's some level of vaccination,
Michael LeBlanc 23:23
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 23:23
And we're able to go back to an office format every so often, it's also helped because it's helped build some relationships. And what's really funny about it is, you know, now, you know, one of the things we've always known about is people, what people look like, but we actually don't know what people's height is anymore.
Michael LeBlanc 23:36
Yeah, that's true.
Tanbir Grover 23:37
So, you're very tall, we have no idea because you sit behind the desk all day. Right? So, I think that's been, that's been a really inspiring thing, in that sort of meeting zone, your team members have been like, 'Oh, I thought you would be a lot shorter', 'I thought you'd be a lot taller', you know, those biases that are, that are in,
Michael LeBlanc 23:51
Yeah, yeah,
Tanbir Grover 23:51
Our minds, always, you know, they play out?
Michael LeBlanc 23:54
Well, you've always had an perspective on your teams to build agility into the team. And I think that's, it's so necessary, I can see why you would be attracted. It's that, you know, that, that friction, or that finding that sweet spot between being well planned out and being agile, and I gotta imagine being agile right now, in these times is such a benefit, right?
Tanbir Grover 24:16
Yeah. And I think, I think agility is, you know, it's gonna transcend COVID. I think marketers just need to be agile in general. And,
Michael LeBlanc 24:23
Yeah
Tanbir Grover 24:24
They need to think the industry is moving fast. The technology's moving fast. And with that is a level of risk reward that you're always evaluating. And at the same time, I think agility is something that, that you really want to develop in your people and in your culture, because it's the way you can go to market and take advantage of opportunities.
Michael LeBlanc 24:44
Yeah,
Tanbir Grover 24:44
it's the way you can respond to market conditions. But it's very much a culture of how do we do it in a unified way? So, it's not I'm just agile, it's the team can, can actually move in that, with that mentality in mind,
Michael LeBlanc 24:58
And agility if taken too far can get a bit chaotic right? So, it's finding that sweet spot.
Tanbir Grover 25:03
Yeah, finding that balance
Michael LeBlanc 25:04
Yeah, find that balance. Well,
Tanbir Grover 25:07
That's the fun part of marketing, right like the fun part of marketing is you're trying to find the balance between, between fun and results. You try to balance the expectations of the business and the customer and try to really just try to drive, you know, what I would call an experience that, that can transcend what the customer, or in our case what the DPL wants and sure you deliver on it.
Michael LeBlanc 25:28
Right on, right on. Well, Tanbir is so great catching up with you, and thanks so much for taking the opportunity to speak with m. Congratulations on, on the new gig and the expanded role. I can't imagine a better choice for PetValu. So, thanks so much and I wish you continued success and let's keep in touch and have a great rest of your day and a great run up to the, to the rest of the year in the retail season.
Tanbir Grover 25:52
Thanks Michael, super appreciated it. And you know always, you know, always honored to be part of your forum and you know, continue to look into support the Retail Counsel as well as you in the stuff going forward and wish you only the most success as you go through this back half of the year too.
Michael LeBlanc 26:07
Thanks for tuning into today's episode of The Voice of Retail. Be sure and follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you enjoy podcasts so you don't miss out on the latest episodes industry news and insights. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review as it really helps us grow so that we continue to get amazing guests onto the show. I'm your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. And if you're looking for more content or want to chat, follow me on LinkedIn or visit my website at meleblanc.co.
Michael LeBlanc 26:35
Until next time, stay safe. Have a great week.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
stores, retail, digital, ecommerce, big, opportunity, part, marketing, pet, lean, pet owner, customers, support, brand, bit, dpl, happening, agility, dog, retailers