Most retail ‘Requests for Information’ (RFIs) sound different on the surface, but the intent is usually the same. Leaders want to know what is happening in stores, whether work gets done properly, and where risk sits, without creating more work for already stretched teams.

The underlying problem is not a lack of systems – often it’s quite the opposite with a patchwork of disconnected technologies all competing for your colleagues fingertips and ‘mouse-mileage’, and that’s before we get to the lack of clarity. Messages go out too widely, and often in duplication. Actions lose ownership as no-one know who is doing what, and progress sits in emails, spreadsheets, or conversations. By the time issues surface, they are already problems.

When stores receive only information relevant to them, attention improves. When actions sit with named owners and visible deadlines, execution becomes predictable and consistent. Head office stops chasing updates because the answers are already there, plain to see, in glorious colourful dashboards.

When you can see what was read, what was completed, and what evidence sits behind it, a lot of the uncertainty disappears. Compliance stops being something teams worry about at the last minute and becomes part of how the business runs day-to-day. That visibility changes how people behave too – if leaders spot issues early, then support reaches the right places faster.

RFIs focus on requirements – Retail performance depends on confidence, consistency, and control – Metro supports those outcomes across every store, every day.