FreshFoods’ leadership believes the operational challenges might not be uniform across the chain. Bain performed a regional analysis to pinpoint where inefficiencies are concentrated. Each region has roughly a similar number of stores, but the Midwest region differs in a few important ways: many stores are older, located farther from distribution centers, and face more frequent weather-related disruptions that affect deliveries and cold storage reliability.

Review the chart below, which compares FY2022 and FY2023 sell-through rates by region. Identify which region is driving overall underperformance and discuss why it might be struggling relative to others. Then suggest what actions could mitigate these risks going forward.