Rea Noyes knows the importance of taking the right steps to meet shopper needs – sometimes, actual steps.

In a crowded grocery landscape in Ramsey, N.J., Rea has differentiated her store and made it a destination in part by launching a “walk to” campaign, through which associates walk customers to products they are looking for, walk up to them to personally help them find and download digital coupons or steer them to another teammate who can provide a solution.

Rea goes the literal extra step in other ways, too. At times, when an item is unavailable, someone on the store team will drive and get the product from a neighboring store and deliver it to the customer. Even when ecommerce options are available, these kinds of gestures are noticed and enhance loyalty among shoppers.

In another effort to make customers feel welcome, this manager hosts seasonal customer appreciation events. One time, the Cheerio mascot, Buzz the Bee, showed up as employees handed out treats and encouraged shoppers to donate to a food drive. During the holidays, she planned a festive celebration with performances from a local acapella group, family activities and product samples.

At the same time, Rea is sure to show gratitude to her team members, whether through formal development programs, one-on-guidance or by hosting a backyard barbecue as a way to thank them for achieving 100% participation in training programs. She understands how training that increases employee engagement also drives productivity and, ultimately, the store’s performance.

Even as she takes engagement among shoppers and her staff personally, Rea simultaneously embraces the power of technology. She has rolled out several innovative strategies over the past year to keep up with and ahead of competitors, including initiatives focused on data analytics, forecasting trends and supply chain logistics.

By deftly balancing human interaction and technology, she has scored many successes at this ShopRite location, which is one of the highest-volume grocery stores in the area. Her store has posted year-over-year sales growth and exceeded chain results for gross profits and shrink. In a tight market, her efforts helped boost customer count by 1.21% in the past year.

Thanks to Rea’s personal touch, the store was a top one in the chain for fundraising. Over the past year, she hosted three sold-out fundraising events that also drew visitors from surrounding counties. She extended goodwill by expanding the store’s volunteering program and by donating her own time and talent to activities benefiting a local family farm, food banks and other causes. During the family farm event, she got even more steps in, leading a team of associates to pick 200 pounds of fresh produce to donate to a nearby food pantry.