倀倀tion 1There are notably five main gaps that exist between the seller and the buyer. These are lack of space, lack of time, lack of information, lack of ownership and lack of value. Perhaps the biggest gap a retailer like Woolworths has to consider is lack of space. The location of a Woolworths store is essential so that it can be at a perfect distance from its potential customers, all of whom are LSM 7 to 10 people. Looking at the location of Woolworth stores, other than the Woolworths in the large shopping centers, they located them close to potential customers. Woolworths customers cannot go to every seller for the products they need, therefore, Woolworth's acts as an easier alternative to come and get the products they want. There are certain products that customers want all year round and which are not always available due to certain constraints. For example, certain fruits, vegetables and meats are not available at certain times of the year, but Woolworths ensures that these products are available all year round by importing these products out of season or stocking these products for the off-season. This is essentially the method Woolworths uses to bridge the time gap. Among the thousands of products offered by a retail store like Woolworths, there is inevitably a lack of information available to the customer about each product. Woolworths tries to solve this lack of information about certain products by advertising and implementing certain marketing strategies to inform people about the products. They do this through television, newspapers, magazines, the Internet and environmental advertising (billboards and truck advertising). Employees who work in Woolworths stores also act as a form of product information to the customer...... middle of paper ...... c factor. The problem was due to pressure on food manufacturers to buy cheaper, lower quality meat due to rising input prices. It is widely believed that the scandal only took place in Europe, but a recent study from Stellenbosch showed traces of buffalo and horse meat in South African meat products. An environmental factor that has affected Woolworths is illustrated by the example of the 2013 chicken shortage in Gauteng. The cause is an interruption in the water supply to Potchestroom, where several suppliers are based. Water scarcity is an example of an environmental factor. Woolworths donates surplus food to the needy. If Woolworths had very high standards for food quality, a lot of food would be wasted. The food is still in good condition but does not have the freshness required to meet Woolworths quality standards. It's a social factor.