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One thing the students learn right away when they work at the Towne Market through the Young AmeriTowne program, is competition is a healthy and inevitable part of running a business.
As the 5th grade students enter the Young AmeriTowne Belmar location in Lakewood, they are prepared for a fun and engaging day. Through their classroom curriculum, they have learned about sound money management skills, how an economy works, a variety of different careers (such as banking, healthcare, and media), and are ready to bring their new skills to practice in the life-like town setting.
At the “mini-Safeway” in Towne, the kids sell and bag pre-packaged snacks and drinks. They also learn about rotating and stocking products on the shelves as they try out positions as Retail Accountant, Cashier and Store Manager.
They also face competition from the Snack Shop just across Towne! The students learn strategies to retain customers like pricing and product positioning.
Kris Staaf, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Safeway knows that as a company they have to stay relevant in the grocery industry. “We realize that families have many options for their groceries; so one way Safeway stays competitive is by offering Safeway For U. This newly updated mobile app allows our customers to download customized coupons, shop online and remit rewards within seconds. Online ordering and grocery delivery have been especially important to customers who can’t physically travel to a store or simply want to save time. ”
“Another way stores can stay competitive is by providing excellent customer service. When you walk into a store, do you notice and appreciate when someone offers to help you? Walking a customer down the aisle to find a product, helping them at checkout or creating that special birthday cake leave a lasting positive impression. Going the extra mile with customer service builds loyalty.”
The students working in the Towne Market learn that if they don’t deliver service in a friendly and considerate manner, their customers can purchase their snacks across the way.
Thank you Safeway, for supporting the Young Americans Center financial educations programs and for helping students learn these valuable lessons about business best practices.
Young Americans Center for Financial Education: Launched in 1990, Young AmeriTowne has grown to become a beloved educational program for Colorado 5th graders to develop sound money management skills, to explore careers (banking, healthcare, media, etc.) and to learn how an economy works. Since we opened our doors, more than 524,400 students have participated in the program.
The program delivers curriculum and hands-on experiences in the free enterprise system. Students are introduced to the concepts of money management, economics, civics, business and philanthropy through in-classroom lessons (20+ lesson hours), preparing for an inspiring and fun day in Towne where students work in teams to run an interdependent economy that includes businesses alongside a local government. Over the course of curriculum lessons and Towne day, students learn the basics of personal finance, banking, and the economy.
Safeway: Today, Safeway operates as a banner of Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. With both a strong local presence and national scale, the company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners. Albertsons Companies is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2020 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave nearly $239 million in food and financial support. $10.4 million of this amount went to support schools. These efforts helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities and veterans outreach.
