Joris Drachman’s Post

What does great product knowledge look like when you're a store supervisor? ✏️ 🛒 As a store supervisor, exceptional product knowledge is the cornerstone of success. 📚 It means understanding your products inside out, from features to benefits, and being able to convey this knowledge to your team and customers effectively. 🤝 Great product knowledge boosts customer confidence, drives sales, and fosters a culture of expertise in your store. 💼 It's the key to creating exceptional shopping experiences and building trust. 🌟 What are your top tips for mastering product knowledge in retail? Let's discuss! #Retail #productknowledge #thebeerstore

Have we lost our focus on the retail basics? I had the pleasure this week to see a maestro in action - an experienced store manager, leading his sales floor at peak hours and ensuring every customer walking over the threshold had the best possible experience. It was great to watch and extremely skilled..... Back in my department store days it was how we started out - team leaders or section managers taking care of the front end - working out deployment, shift patterns and breaks. At John Lewis we started every day with a Bridge Meeting and then later in my career in the first big out of town home stores we'd tannoy for 'huddles' of managers at busy times on the floor and always, I mean ALWAYS had one person who controlled the whole shebang. Nothing in this space has changed - in the bustling world of retail, mastering shop floor management is key to success. For a customer, it's the difference between stepping into chaos & not being seen or... Stepping into a calm, beautifully merchandised & recovered showroom where, even if the team are busy with other customers, you feel seen, welcomed and compelled to stay. This is why it's so important - it's all about creating a smooth shopping experience. The shop floor is where the action happens. It's where we interact with customers, show off our products, and try to seal the deal. Good sales floor management ensures that this interaction is positive and memorable but only for the right reasons. Its the heartbeat of what we do - it's a skill - don't just rely on instinct or assuming everyone knows what to do - make sure its part of your programmes and everyone in your showrooms know why its the baseline of your success! Time spent coaching and developing this skill is definitely time well spent! So don't forget how important the basics are - it could make all the difference. #retailmanagement #customerexperience #retailbasics

7 Reasons Why Store Visits are Crucial for Retailers: Store visits are more than just a box-ticking exercise; they are essential for the success of retail operations. 1. Quality Assurance and Standards Compliance 2. Employee Engagement and Knowledge Sharing 3. Customer Experience and Feedback 4. Operational Efficiency 5. Strategic Insights 6. Sales and Merchandising Evaluation 7. Building Relationships with Store Teams Neglecting these aspects can have far-reaching consequences for brand reputation, customer loyalty, and overall profitability. After understanding the psyche of the reports, we wrote a guide to understanding store visits and how to do them perfectly. Link to part 1 of 2 of Wooqer's guide to store visits in the comments.

Store Managers: The Backbone of the Industry As we prepare for the 2023 #NACSShow I’m mindful of all the store managers who will keep the doors open, often 24/7, as we search for new connections, category breakthroughs, technology solutions, and new concepts to bring back to consider for 2024. In the meantime, store managers will be doing what they do every day—managing their team, responding to late night emergencies, adjusting to a delayed delivery truck, and preparing for the breakfast rush, lunch crowd and late-night travelers. They’ll conduct audits, write orders, and problem-solve the unexpected. They will have to deal with a difficult employee, move around a schedule, lift their team’s spirits, and fill that open shift at the last minute. Once they’ve done everything in their store, they will pitch in to help a local manager in the area who needs support. They do this without giving it a second thought; no matter how weary they are at the moment. Store managers are a special group of people. When they gather in a room, the air is thick with a grit and determination that always fills me with tremendous pride and appreciation. According to NACS, “The U.S. convenience store industry conducts about 160 million transactions per day.” From the welcome reception to the close of the show that’s about 500 million transactions. As you grow weary of walking the floor, your eyes a bit heavy from staying up a bit too long – remember who is minding the store. Every day. All day. Thank you store managers for all you do! Keeping the doors open, with that grit and determination that you all share. It’s really quite special and it is greatly appreciated! #storemanagers #convenience #grit #determination #nacsshow

Thinking back to the beginning of my retail management career, I vividly remember how I cringed at hearing, "𝑵𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚" or "𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆'𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒔." I couldn't accept that sales could be as unpredictable as the weather. 😅 At that time, due to a lack of retail trainers, the B2B trainers I invited couldn't adequately sharpen retail sales skills. Since sales prowess isn't something we're born with, my sales team's own experiences alone weren't enough. Clinging to the idea that training was the key to achieving stable revenue, I partnered with a friend who trained bankers. With my retail background, her training expertise, and several books on retail that I managed to get from the US in those pre-Amazon times, we crafted my first retail training program. My very first training was quite a contrast to my management activity: exercises, group dynamics, the psychology of it all. 😅 I didn't know back then that this would be the beginning of a new path in life that would lead to numerous courses in training, coaching, psychology, and many other topics related to the human factor. Recently, I trained staff at one of the 🇬🇧 oldest department stores. Here are my key takeaways: 🙏 Great respect for businesses that have stood the test of time like this place. I don't agree with the fixation on the disruption that drives us to look at companies with long histories as subjects to extinction rather than honour. 👉 They face the unique challenge of balancing loyal older customers' desire for familiarity with the need to cater to younger shoppers' radically different, tech-driven expectations. 💪 Human resources are their most powerful asset. Location matters, but highly skilled salespeople who can turn casual buyers into loyal store advocates are invaluable. ❤️ Even with Britain's reserved culture, shoppers crave genuine connection and expertise from salespeople. 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀? #Fashion #FashionRetail #UKRetail #Innovation #LuxuryFashion

When I first entered the world of retail, I did not realize how much knowledge would I gain from this line of work. Beyond the neatly arranged shelves, the fashionably stylish mannequin, and the ever-beeping checkout counters lie invaluable lessons that I have managed to discover. Working in retail isn't just about scanning items or folding clothes, it's an immersive journey that has shaped me in profound ways, leaving me with skills and wisdom that extend far beyond the confines of the store. From communication to problem-solving, here's a closer look at the transformative lessons that I have learned from working in the retail industry.

Retail is a noun and also a verb. But retail to me is a people business. The word retail comes from old French 'retailen' meaning to sell in quantities. Whilst this definition of the noun retail is still largely true, what it takes to be successful in the verb of retailling continues to evolve. Retail in my view has been historically hierarchical and action-biased, focused on the outputs. Success was in metrics, first-in last-out mentality and it was the person with power and all the answers that had success. It’s changed to be more about connection and curiosity. Success now comes from connecting people and ideas to create new and different outcomes, through fostering collaborative diverse environments that enable everyone to thrive and contribute in their area of expertise rather than hierarchies. By activating interdependent communities of people around a shared purpose, we can stay agile to what customers value and continually be learning from each other. These are my theoretical views. But I’m full of joy after a week of experiencing this in practice on a road trip of store visits, fuelled by curiosity and connection. And I definitely saw a people business this week. + Meeting so many colleagues, hearing their journeys with Wickes, Store Managers proud to introduce their colleagues, many with incredible tenure, who find new passion and energy to collaborate with each other day after day + Learning from a brand new colleague, with a depth of expertise in a completely different industry, who thoughtfully shared ideas born out of this diverse experience which we can now work on to benefit every store + Visiting our new build store which when finished will delight existing colleagues and a new community + Spending time stores with heartfelt stories of care for each other and the extended families of their colleagues + Celebrating with a brand new Wickes Driver on their first reverse into a delivery yard, and the pride on her face for achieving what she previously thought wasn't possible + Seeing people supporting careers to thrive, such as that of a newly promoted Duty Manager as she prepares for her first closing shift + Hearing from designers and colleagues about 'why Wickes', their stories about the freedom to be themselves and how they personally connect to our purpose of helping the nation feel house proud, really understanding what customers value + Inspired by the team I get to work with on their thoughts, strategy and energised by the co-collaboration of ideas I'm grateful to all the people who have been so generous with their time, insights and feedback this week, particularly Mel Firth, Helen Buttery, Jason Butcher. I have clarity, feel inspired and connected by this people business we call retail. Let’s continue to retell what retail is all about. #retail #connection #peoplebusiness

Over the past few months I have been hearing a lot within the retail space about the 'mid-month slump', so I though I would do a bit of a recce at a local retail park. It was fair to say the 'slump' was in full swing with barely any customers in store. What was astonishing was the different experience's when speaking with sales staff (that is when they actually bothered to approach). I walked into one retailer and I must of been in there for a good 20 minutes and not approached at all, so walked out (a potential sale gone just like that). The second store was more pleasant, introducing themselves, mentioning their offers, directed me to where things were and asked if I needed any help, to just ask (what i would expect is a standard approach in most). What didn't happen before leaving though was asking for my details or if I'd found everything I was looking for, so another opportunity gone! The third store welcomed me and asked the same questions as the last store but again no information gained to potentially reach out to me again. What I am trying to get at is, there are literally potential sales walking out the door and sales staff are unable to reach back out to customers who visited to fill the funnel (hate the saying but it is what you have to do). Would love to know what experiences everyone else has had and what do you expect from retailers when visiting? #recce #retailstores #retailpark #customerexperience #salesstaff #customerdataiskey

🌟 Staff members equipped with sharp observation abilities can detect customer needs, spot inventory discrepancies, and ensure a seamless shopping experience. As Sherlock Holmes once said, "You see, but you do not observe." 🕵️♂️ 🔎 Our recent training for Managers @ Safari Hypermarket focused on honing these observation skills, turning our staff into true retail detectives. 🕵️♀️🔍 Let's embrace the power of keen observation and watch our success soar, one customer at a time! 📸🛍️🚀 #ObservationSkills #RetailExcellence #SafariHypermarket

If you are a store manager wanting to increase your efficiency by 10x, read this!👇 . . We know managing a store and growing it consistently is an extraordinary task. But many store managers struggle to achieve this, often feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to focus their energy. The reason? They're too caught up in trying to control things outside of their grasp. Here are two categories for you to consider: Things in your control and things beyond your control. Let’s look at some examples in the context of store management. Things Beyond Your Control: - Customer's personal budget - Your brand’s product buying - Customers trying in-store buying online - Company's unfair incentive policies It's essential to accept that these factors are not in your control. Spending time, energy, and cribbing about them is unproductive. 😓 Things in Your Control: - Your store's customer experience - Your staff's selling strategy - Excellent customer service - Achieving targets to earn maximum incentives These are the areas where you can make a significant impact! Focus your time, energy, and resources here, and you'll be amazed at the change you can drive. 💪 Yes, it might seem daunting, and you might disagree, thinking, "But I need to be aware of all factors affecting my store!" Yes, being aware is different from obsessively trying to control them. The key here is acceptance, focus, and action. 🗝️ Your path to store growth begins with understanding what's within your circle of influence and where you can make the most impact. Your action steps: 1️⃣ Make a list of the things that are on your mind 2️⃣ Segregate what's in your control and NOT in your control 3️⃣ Let go of things that you cannot do anything about, and invest your time and energy into what you can really transform (which is in your control). Hit a like if you are ready to take that step towards excelling in your store management. Let's start today. 🚀 #retailmanagement #retailoperations #storeoperations