I had a conversation this week with a longstanding customer.

He’s a farmer, who our family have known for a long time.

He’s 85, and still working.

We talked about the old days, back in the 1980s, and the relationship he had with my dad, when he was growing carrots.

The farmer would drop the carrots off on a Sunday, and my Dad would take them into the North East wholesale fruit and veg market the next day, while picking up our fresh produce.

Those sort of relationships were closer back then.

You knew who you were dealing with.

You worked things out face to face.

The second part of the conversation drifted into him complimenting the success of our Food Hall.

Now, just to be clear, this isn’t about me.

But, what stayed with me was this.

He said that, despite all the changes over the years, what he was most impressed with, was the way in which Turnbull’s has always kept moving forward.

Always looking for better ways of doing things.

Better ways of producing things.

Better ways of serving customers.

Better ways of operations.

I was naturally thankful of his kind words.

And, in business, it’s very true.

I’ve always believed that staying ahead is a lesson worth remembering.

Business doesn’t stand still.

If you’re not moving forward, you’re quietly going backwards.

You have to push yourself to step out your comfort zone.

Trying new routes to market.

New ideas.

Not everything works, but standing still should never be an option.

As you head towards Christmas and start thinking about the New Year, ask yourself:

Where have I been doing things “because that’s how we’ve always done it”?

What could I improve, even slightly?

How could I offer a better customer experience in 2026?

You don’t need to reinvent everything.

But you do need momentum.

You need positive actions.

That’s what drives growth and builds business.

Have a great week.

Mark