November 2011
1 post
I did it!
A couple of years ago, I said I wanted to be a Store Manager by the time I was 30, and well, almost 5 months out from turning 30, I became a Store Manager! Thus ends a journey of 3 (and a bit) years, and begins my journey of becoming a great Store Manager.
As of October 21st, I’ve been the Store Manager of our Levin store. For those who don’t know, Levin is a small township 30mins south of...
September 2011
1 post
I was a Store Manager for 2 weeks........
Right, so I’ve discovered in the past 2 weeks that it is one thing to run your own store when the manager is away, but it’s a completely different ball game running someone else’s store!
That’s right. I was given the opportunity to run another store for 2 weeks while their manager was away. What an experience! To be accountable for everything that happens really is a step up from being an ASM,...
August 2011
1 post
Never a dull moment in retail!
I would have to say, that the most common theme throughout my blog has been the fact that I am busy. This past 6 weeks have been no exception In fact, it has been one of the busiest periods I’ve had.
My Store Manager took annual leave for 2 weeks, followed by being out of store for meetings - so effectively 3 weeks. This meant one thing for me… Control of the store!
As I have developed in my...
June 2011
1 post
I'm back......
Right, so it’s been a couple of months since I last wrote yet really only a month of work.
As I wrote last time, I was off to Thailand for a few weeks with my partner and a couple of friends who were also on the SMDP. We all had an absolute blast, a few injuries were had, a lot of sun experienced, and I’m surprised we didn’t become water logged from swimming; well one of us did but that was due...
May 2011
1 post
Super YUSS!
Now, before I get into this, forgive me for what may be some airy fairy writing. You see, as of approximately 4hrs ago, I’m on annual leave until the end of May and am SUPER SUPER excited about this!
Wanganui is going awesomely. It is a fantastic store with an incredible team. Mostly we’re currently working on driving standards within the store in regards to recovery, how we merchandise,...
March 2011
2 posts
YUSS!
If there was one word to describe how I’m feeling at the moment, it’s AWESOME! Not that I am saying I am awesome, well I can have touches of it, but I’m in an awesome mood.
We made it through stocktake in Paraparaumu; we went well over the few nights and got the job done. But then the most exciting thing happened, I started in Wanganui! After waiting for what felt like an age, I was given the...
Still in Paraparaumu
Which I thought would happen with the lead up to stocktake and making sure the store is all prepped and ready to be counted. I love stocktake time! I must be weird as it definitely is one thing I enjoy; something about the nights, the team, the purpose I guess.
So in my last entry I said it had been non stop since Xmas and well, it hasn’t let up any which I’m loving at the moment. Not so...
January 2011
1 post
Oh WOW!
It’s almost the end of January and it’s been non-stop since Christmas for me. We had both our Nightfill and Sales Team Leader leave just after Christmas so I’ve been running around trying to do various roles. This has resulted in some very long days and longer weeks. I’ve also finished interviewing for replacements so it looks likely that in a few weeks we should have two new Team Leaders in our...
December 2010
1 post
Ho Ho Ho
Apparently Xmas at The Warehouse is a busy time of the year! The planning, implementation and maintenance is all so – well busy! Actually, that is an understatement, it is CRAZY busy! And, I LOVE IT!
I’ve spent the past couple of weeks working on Nightfill, learning and understanding just how things work. I’ve been dying to get on nights for a while, but with my Store Manager being...
October 2010
1 post
Turns out Kirsten can dance!
Conference was an absolute blast and the Assistant Store Manager v. Store Manager skit was an absolute hit! We rocked it for sure! It was a great night and awesome to catch up with many people I had worked with previously as well as meeting new people.
So it has been a busy few weeks setting up Xmas, Halloween, Breast Cancer month, and the general day to day tasks. We’ve also been busy recruiting...
September 2010
1 post
Half way through September and things are picking...
We’re planning our Christmas labour which involves interviewing and hiring temps. I attended our annual Christmas Roadshow to find out what is coming up. I’ve done stocktake and our big conference for the region is this weekend! Also, next week I have stocktake again! I sometimes wonder if the invention of time was a joke and we are supposed to have an extra hour or two each day. Haha, wouldn’t...
August 2010
1 post
Ok, so it's been a CRAZY busy month here in...
We’ve had promotions running into promotions and plans running into even bigger plans. We’ve been working on lifting store standards and whilst we’ve come a long way, and have been making great progress, there is still a lot to be done. So I have been busy making plans for a few departments to get them in the best shape and in the case of one area, it requires a very big overhaul which is starting...
July 2010
1 post
This is AWESOME!
I love my new role and store and boy it’s great to be back in Region 4, otherwise known as “home”.
This past month we’ve had assessments to ensure we’re following best practice when it comes to setting up our teams for success. We’ve also just had our BIG toy sale! And I have been a busy wee bee in ensuring our store standards are being maintained. So far so good, we can only become more and...
June 2010
1 post
Paraparaumu - I'm here!
4 weeks in and I’ve set up a promotion, done some recruiting and received a compliment in regards to store standards. PLUS I found out the engagement score for Mosgiel and I’m pretty stoked about that. Knowing my team were happy in their roles in Mosgiel has definitely given me a confidence boost as I settle here at Paraparaumu. It means that even when tired and stressed and grumpy, I can still...
May 2010
1 post
Farewell Mosgiel......
On my last day at Mosgiel, the team plotted and I played along. That’s right, my time in Mosgiel has come to an end. In fact, as I write this, I’m sitting on a ferry heading towards Wellington, and home. I start tomorrow at the Paraparaumu store as Assistant Store Manager and while I’m jumping up and down totally excited about the challenge ahead, I’m sad to have left Mosgiel and the awesome...
April 2010
1 post
Yeeeee-HAH!
I’m now officially signed off from Phase 2 (after delivering an AWESOME presentation) of the SMDP and have applied for a new role in another region. Applications don’t close for a couple of weeks though so I won’t share any details until next time when hopefully I have landed a new role as Assistant Store Manager.
This past month has seen my Store Manager (Peter) transfer to another store...
March 2010
1 post
Where is this year going?
I swear, as we get older, time goes by a whole lot faster.
Easter is now in full swing; the team have had performance reviews and pay rises and now it’s time for the Engagement Survey. March already, I can barely believe it. Our Easter lines are selling well with the people of Mosgiel being especially partial to a great bargain. My team that worked on setting Easter up did a spectacular job and...
February 2010
1 post
Success!
Stocktake has now been and gone and we made it through long days and longer nights to achieve a successful result! The team even finished on time and everyone that was counting and checking were super accurate, which helped give us a successful result. To date, this has been the highlight of the SMDP for me. To be given the opportunity to plan and execute stocktake was an experience I can’t wait...
January 2010
1 post
Christmas is over.....
And we recorded our second busiest day since opening day and to get through it all, feels absolutely brilliant! While many people may be winding down after the busy period, I’m just getting started and have been going what feels like 100miles an hour for the past couple of weeks.
Why so busy?
Our Back to School promotion has just kicked off and after some good solid work from my team, our...
December 2009
1 post
GOLD!
Yes, my greatest achievement over the past month has been to achieve a gold rating for our Xmas set up and I couldn’t be happier! After all the planning and work put in by the team, to achieve gold, was a fantastic result.
With the busy season upon us, finding time to get some things completed has been a real challenge. Although I’ve ensured all store requirements are completed, I’ve neglected my...
November 2009
1 post
Okay, so I’ve come to the conclusion that this...
Although in saying that, it does mean Christmas comes sooner and compared to when I was a kid, when it seemed to take ages, Christmas appears to get closer and closer as I get older. Or is it just because this year, I’ve taken charge of setting up the Christmas promotional space in Mosgiel?
October has been a very busy month. We had our store refit and I was lucky enough to pick up the stationery...
October 2009
1 post
September, September!
If I say it enough, I’ll remember what has happened throughout the month. Haha. It’s been a hectic month, but to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Having been back for a month, we’ve been nailing process and compliance which are things we do to ensure we operate smoothly and efficiently for our customers. Now, it may come as a surprise to some, but Mosgiel isn’t exactly a big place and...
September 2009
1 post
Wow! What a holiday! I’m so relaxed I could...
We landed in Thailand and as soon as I stepped off the plane, I knew it was going to be a hot, humid holiday. The plane ride was good fun, individual screens that had games, movies, tv shows, and even an application to learn different languages. I now know some very basic Thai words.
The holiday was fantastic, 2 ½ weeks in Phuket in which we saw some shows, went snorkelling, visited ‘The Beach’...
August 2009
1 post
We're open
What an absolute blast! If you’re ever afforded this opportunity, put your hand up and take it! You won’t regret it!
So what have I learnt this past month? I think it’s more of a case of what haven’t I learnt! I’ve done so much and been involved with almost every aspect involved with opening a new store. Did you know the last new store to open was about 2 years ago in Wellington? So for The...
July 2009
1 post
Guess what?
A couple of hours after I wrote my last blog, I received a much awaited phone call. That phone call informed me that I’m now the new Sales Team Leader in our Mosgiel store! Mosgiel is a brand new store located just out of Dunedin. It’s due to open on July 23. I’ve been down here just over a week now and thankfully, after having lived in Dunedin previously, it isn’t taking too much for me to adjust...
June 2009
1 post
But wait, there's more....
When I last wrote, I was a few months into my first phase 2 role as Nightfill Team Leader for Palmerston North. As it’s a big store, it comes with some big challenges, which luckily for me, has meant some great learnings.
I’ve managed my team through some process changes that, with some initial resistance, have achieved some good results. We’ve implemented a new Shelf Edge Labelling (SEL) system...
May 2009
1 post
Who would have thought?
Eighteen months ago, if someone told me I would be working for The Warehouse, I would have laughed at them.
As a BCom student at Otago Uni, my marketing/design career was all mapped out until I was thrown a curve ball and decided that, in the pursuit of happiness, I would move to Palmerston North. In that move I ended up online looking for work when The Warehouse and its Store Manager...