They know the price of everything but the value of nothing

From smooth autobahns to UK roadblocks… what a drive through Europe tells us about getting things right… 

Scott’s just come back from a whirlwind European road trip driving to Germany through France and Belgium all in a weekend. It wasn’t a holiday as much as a pilgrimage to see his old home team of Mönchengladbach play Wolfsburg plus a war memorial visit, and plenty of time on the road to reflect. The conclusion? It all just works in Europe…

The roads were clear. No potholes. No cones. No endless diversions. Even the traffic lights were smarter, flashing amber to keep lanes flowing when there’s no cross-traffic. The car parks were easy to navigate, the systems in cafes and restaurants ran like clockwork. It was clean, efficient, and well thought out. Until you hit Kent…

Then the UK welcomes you back with the M25. Four lanes. Road closures. Traffic at a standstill. Welcome home! The contrast couldn’t be clearer and it got us thinking. When it comes to infrastructure, efficiency, and systems we’re miles behind. And yet, some people here still want everything for nothing.I hear some retailers complaining about issues with their guarding companies because they are asking for more money but not providing a rationale other than the cost of living crisis or upward pressure on wages. In my opinion they are missing the point – asking and so answering the wrong question.

The question is NOT ‘How do we reduce costs?’ The correct question is ‘How do we reduce the cost to sell?’ If you want top-tier security first of all you need to define what that looks like. Is the best the cheapest? Some seem to think so. However, I can’t understand the rationale of using cheapest-in-class security solutions to oversee high loss rates when a higher price security offering means smaller shrink and retains more profit in the business. Isn’t retail about investing in a business in order to make money!?!

And yet, more often than not, we see people obsessed with hourly rates rather than overall value. They know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. We’ve got the ideas. The right attitude. We’re continually pushing for improvements and of course different solutions which will provide more efficiencies, effectiveness and improve sustainability. But so many UK businesses are still hung up on cutting corners for the sake of it.

Our approach at Advantage One is simple: get the right people, doing the right things, delivering the right results. It’s obvious when you care about full shelves, safe staff, and sustainable outcomes. But if you’re only chasing the cheapest option you’ll always be stuck in the slow lane. Maybe getting more and returning more means giving more… this equation can still mean that you will get more for your money!

Just ask anyone who’s ever tried to make it through Dover in under an hour recently!