for every department.
Whole Foods has regional ops directors.
You have you.
That gap is real — and it shows up directly in your margins. SBS closes it, starting in week one.
and whether a full audit makes sense for your store.
Most independent operators already know where the margin is leaking — shrink that runs too high, labor that doesn't track with sales volume, department heads ordering on gut instead of revenue data. The problem isn't awareness. It's not having the infrastructure to fix it.
That's the gap Simplified Business Solutions was built to close. We bring 60+ years of combined grocery management experience — from a Fortune 50 chain to conventional, natural, and cooperatively owned independent grocers — directly into your operation. We don't make recommendations and leave. We build durable systems that continue to perform after we're gone.
Annual Dollar Impact by Store Volume
Gross profit improvement + labor efficiency — two independent levers, both recoverable.
| GP Points Gained | $3M Store | $8M Store | $15M Store | $50M Store |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| + 1 point | $30,000 | $80,000 | $150,000 | $500,000 |
| + 2 points | $60,000 | $160,000 | $300,000 | $1,000,000 |
| + 3 points | $90,000 | $240,000 | $450,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Labor % Improved | $3M Store | $8M Store | $15M Store | $50M Store |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% of revenue | $30,000 | $80,000 | $150,000 | $500,000 |
| 2% of revenue | $60,000 | $160,000 | $300,000 | $1,000,000 |
| 3% of revenue | $90,000 | $240,000 | $450,000 | $1,500,000 |
| 🎯 Total annual recovery | $90,000 | $240,000 | $450,000 | $1,500,000 |
These are recoverable dollars already flowing through your store. This is not a projection — it's the gap between where you are and where your operation should be performing.
- Labor aligned to actual sales volume
- Purchasing tied to real revenue data
- Operational decisions stop being made on feel
- Predictable financial performance begins
- Department disciplines take consistent hold
- Shrink tightens across categories
- Systems run without you in the room
- Department heads own their numbers
- GP baseline permanently shifts upward
- Margin gains compound over time
- Your team owns and sustains performance
- Store financials become a competitive asset
How We Get Paid
We're not a traditional consulting engagement. You pay a flat monthly retainer to cover our time and access. Beyond that, we earn a percentage of the gross profit improvement we generate over your established baseline. If we don't move the numbers, we don't get paid like we did. Our incentives are entirely aligned with yours.
Built by an operator, not a consultant
SBS Managing Partner Toby Massey spent 17 years at Safeway in store management and leadership development, then moved into cooperative and independent natural retail — where he led financial turnarounds at some of the largest and most challenged markets in the country. This is the system he built from that experience. It works in conventional and natural formats alike.
Store Performance Audit
Every engagement starts here. Three days on site, benchmarked against stores your size, producing a prioritized list of recoverable margin with dollar values attached — plus a 90-day action plan your team can execute.
$4,500 — and if we don't identify at least $15,000 in recoverable annual margin, it's free. Continue with us within 30 days and the entire fee is credited toward your engagement.
See the full audit details →See exactly where your margin is hiding.
Start with a conversation. Twenty minutes, no commitment — we'll talk through your departments, where the margin is most likely going, and whether a full audit is worth your money.
Schedule a ConversationIf it's a fit, the Store Performance Audit is where we'd start.
If it isn't, you'll still leave the call knowing more than you did.