Schnucks' Jon Townsend reflects on 40 years in grocery industry

Walking the aisles of a grocery store may be just a simple part of their day for most people, but for Jon Townsend it's been a career for four decades.

Schnucks store manager Jon Townsend is set to retire after 40 years with the company. Townsend has been in the industry for 44 years, seeing changes in the company and how it supplies food.

Changes in the industry

"When I started in this business, you didn't have strawberries at Christmastime," Townsend said. "We used to have big displays in produce to take up some of the space on the fruits and vegetables [sections] that we can no longer get because they were out of season. Now, we're in stock 365."

Townsend said one of the noticeable changes is the use of computers and data analytics — keeping track of inventory, prices, what items are sell at what times, etc.

Townsend believes data analytics, while making people spoiled, will continue to evolve the business into the future.

One of the big recent changes to the supply of items in grocery stores has come from the COVID-19 pandemic. Townsend said because of people going out to eat less, it caused a strain on the supply line.

"Manufacturers have gone to what's called the 'efficient consumer response.' They no longer have warehouses full of product waiting on somebody to buy it. They have just enough to supply the needs that they're used to with a little overreach," Townsend said.

"But when people started buying up, hoarding and being prepared to fix more meals at home, it really stressed the supply line — add to that, people are changing jobs and the retirement of baby boomers," he said.

Customer relationships

While some might say they're least favorite part of dealing with the public is the people, Townsend said some of his favorite moments on the job are getting to know his customers personally.

"You get to see a lot of the same customers on a weekly basis, then you get to know their families, you watch their children grow up. They get grandkids and, unfortunately, you lose your customers through death," Townsend said.

Townsend said it was strange to see his past customers when he would visit his dad at a nursing home.

"It really shocked me when I would see how many people that were in the nursing home that used to be customers; it was a little unsettling. Because you go for a while, you don't see them, and then you just kind of go 'out of sight, out of mind," Townsend said.

Working along with Jon

Customer service manager Steve Halter has been in retail for 27 years and has spent the last 15 with the person he considers the most fair manager he's worked for. Halter said one of his favorite things about working under Townsend is he's very patient with his employees.

"He likes to give everybody the opportunity to show what they can bring, listening to people. Sometimes you get caught up with people calling in, especially with COVID," Halter said. "He's taught me to think before I react, to get the whole story of what's going on."

With the coming holidays, grocery stores can get much busier. Townsend said he hopes everyone remembers many of his employees make sacrifices to work in retail.

"They dedicate a lot to their jobs. They miss a lot of family events. They're late to holiday events because they're working," Townsend said. "I just want customers to appreciate that they're going home to be with their family while the teammates are here making sure they get what they need."