Time to get real in retail

With a report from the ‘TUC’ revealing that the retail industry has seen the largest rise in people claiming the dole, with a staggering increase of over 76 thousand people having been made redundant; what does this mean for the people that work in this environment?

I am still of the firm belief that the companies that have fallen by the wayside, would have eventually done so – all had been struggling prior to the ‘recession’ and had underlying issues. However, this does not help you if you are one of the people now without a job!

So – what can you do to ensure that you are not one of people out of work?

To me the simple answer is to ensure that you are delivering in every area of your job role at all times. If you feel there are areas that you can improve – look at your colleagues and see what you can learn from them. It is always an idea to speak to your Manager and see what additional training and support is available – those that are keen to improve themselves will always be one step ahead of the game!

Training is one of the areas that seem to be neglected when times are tough and Training Departments are one of the first fields to be disbanded when Head Office cuts need to be made. So what can the canny Store Manager do to ensure that they are delivering in all of the critical areas?

Many of the key areas that Retailers are monitored on are around simple goals and targets. Sales, Account Cards, Wage Cost control, Stockloss and Profitability. So how can you get them right and ensure you, your teams and your stores survival?

As the more experienced amongst you will already know – all of these areas actually have a direct link to each other. E.g. if you have well trained staff, your Sales and Account Card numbers will be high and if you approach all your Customers and offer great service – your Stockloss will be reduced. Everything you do impacts on your deliverables!

So what are the three key things you can do?

1. Recruit the very best people and ensure that they enjoy and have a passion for retail. You can only improve people if they have the desire to improve!
2. Train and develop your teams. From their Induction program when they start with you, to basic on the floor coaching. Never stop improving your team!
3. Manage! It’s in your title of Store Manager, however sometimes we can forget that you are the glue that holds everything together. Direct and support your teams. Know what your sales are. Control and have full knowledge of your profitability and most importantly – lead by example in EVERYTHING that you do!

If you can achieve the above 3 points – you will be well on the way to protecting your job, your teams job and the business you work for!

Retail can be a tough business – so now is the time to get real!