My 1st Years’ Post

In conversation with some friends, we discussed the challenges faced by someone with experience in furniture retail when applying for a job in fashion retail. Despite the commonalities in retail skills, his application was rejected due to field differences, is it true that customer engagement strategies can differ significantly between sectors? This highlights the importance of showcasing transferable skills and adapting to the nuances of each retail field. Here are two questions to consider: 1. **Does experience in retail vary significantly from one field to another, affecting employability?** 2. **In the retail industry, what holds greater value: the innate skill of assisting customers properly or product knowledge, which can be acquired over time?**

working in retail,I've sometimes felt that people overlook or underestimate the hard work and dedication this job requires, but every role has value, and my experience as a merchandiser has given me skills in organisation, resilience and customer service that I carry proudly. with big dreams on the horizon, I recently completed my advanced diploma in safety management, I,m thrilled to start my postgraduate diploma in safety next year 😊, funding my studies through hard work and determination working as merchandiser . to anyone else who has felt underestimated, remember every step brings you closer to your goals,keep pushing forward and stay focused on the bigger picture

Things I stopped buying since I left my full-time retail management job $$$ - Coffee at Starbucks ($5/cup * 5 days/week = $1,200/year)  - Spinach feta wrap or sandwich ($4 * 5 days/week = $960/year)  - Lunch at Panda Express or Tokyo Joe’s ($15 * 5 = $3,600/year)  - Cloths from new collections with employee discount ($200/month = $2,400/year) - New makeup at Sephora ($100/month = $1,200/year)  - Gas to get to work ($30/week = $1,440/year)  - Vehicle maintenance ($50/month = $600/year)  - Car insurance ($50/month = $600/year) Total: $12,000/year. Out of site, out of mind. Working from home decreases my desire to shop exponentially. Now, instead of eating out and shopping, I can max out my IRA. It’s also better for the environment. We need to rethink the validity of the WORK — CONSUME — WORK cycle. It doesn’t serve us as people and it doesn’t serve the planet at large. It only serves big corporations. P.S. Photo from Seattle's Pike's Peak. For some reason, I liked the pig so much it's the only photo of me from that trip lol.

It’s been two months as a Management Trainee in Store Operations at Louis Philippe, and the journey has been enriching. 😄 Currently, I’m going through the Customer Care Associate (CCA) stint, a role that has given me hands-on exposure to the heart of retail operations. 🛍️ Here are a few key takeaways from this experience: 1. Customer-Centric Approach: - Listening actively and understanding customer needs is essential for creating a personalized shopping experience. 🤔 2. Product Knowledge is Key: - Knowing fabrics, fits, and styles inside out not only builds customer confidence but also drives sales. ❓ 3. Sales and Value Creation: - Techniques like upselling and cross-selling help enhance the customer experience while contributing to the brand's growth. 💯 4. Building Brand Loyalty: - Small gestures, like remembering repeat customers' preferences, go a long way in turning shoppers into loyal patrons. 🤝 5. Handling Real-Time Challenges: - Managing customer complaints and resolving issues on the floor has sharpened my problem-solving skills. This stint is teaching me the fundamentals of customer engagement, team collaboration, and brand representation. Each day offers invaluable insights that are shaping my journey in retail with Louis Philippe and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited.

[Alphabetic Meaning of Merchandiser] M-> Should have good Managerial capacity. E- >Should be Efficient in English Correspondence and spoken. R- >Regular Office attendance. C- >Confident in taking any decision. H-> Must be Honest. A->Show Positive Attitude. N-> Nicely behave and Never argue with Buyers. D->Should be Devoted to his Service. IQ->Should has a better IQ. S->Sincere in Work. E- >Enthusiastic in nature and Excellent in Dealings R- >Regular in Correspondence and rational in Behavior

Are you aware that, being in Retail should not define who you are. You alone define who you are by your; 👉 Words 👉 Actions 👉 Mannerism 👉 Being Memorable. The last point for me is the most important, as in Retail you need to be a swiss army knife, but no matter which tool you choose to rely on, choosing the being memorable tool will ALWAYS pay off. Being memorable is not always about acting like a fool, but it is about, ⭐ Having prescence when entering a room. ⭐ Doing the unexpected & keeping people on their toes. ⭐ Not regretting being an individual & setting your own pace. ⭐ Breaking free from the perceived mold of what a Retail Manager shou!d be like. ... ⭐️and finally just smiling your way through the day and saying 👋 Hello to everyone you meet. 👍🏼 Be Innocent. 👍🏻 Be Proud. 👍 Throw it to the wind. …and finally just role the 🎲🎲 and see where they land. Worst case scenario they will never forget who you are and how you made them smile at that moment. Now that’s what memorability is all about 😃 Hey! Being BiPolar has also brought with it many unexpected moments in my career such as slurring presentations, doubting myself and having rapid speech, but it has made me memorable and I would not trade it for the world even though ironically this quirk also pisses me off on a daily basis, 🤓🤓🤓 I am still here as myself and prouder than ever….faults included. And as always, and most importantly. Have a PHENOMENAL 🤩 Day. _______________________________________ If you would like to learn more about me and what I do, here is a link to my portfolio: 🤓 https://lnkd.in/eHQQFtyy

What steps did you take to move up to store manager? ✏️ To become a store manager, you can gain experience in the retail industry by starting with entry-level roles like a sales assistant or customer service representative. These roles can help you understand how retail operations work, which can make the transition to store manager smoother.

IKEA's Unboxing Hiring Strategy When IKEA opened a new store in Australia, they didn’t just post job ads—they put job applications in their product boxes! The idea was simple: target customers who already loved the brand. The result? Over 4,000 applications and a team of employees perfectly aligned with IKEA’s culture. 💡 Lesson for recruiters: The best talent might already be engaging with your brand—find creative ways to meet them where they are. What’s the most unique hiring strategy you’ve seen? Share below! 

The shopfloor for most frontline staff this weekend before Christmas 🎄 on Wednesday is one of the biggest in turnover 💰💰 🔴 Retailers YOUR customers don’t know the difference between seasonal staff hires and permanent staff. 🔴 If YOUR Christmas temp staff are delivering poor customer service guess what? 🚫You will lose customers returning to your store again 😔 For all those Retailers that took on additional Christmas temps (my son is one of them). Please remember the following ⤵️ ✅ Have a buddy system in place ideally another team member and not a manager that the new hire can shadow and learn from. ✅ For those new hires/christmas temps that have started in Nov/Dec it’s peak trade, they are having to hit the ground running. Have you supported them by having signage in back areas that helps them navigate the stockroom easier and understand how to deliver great customer service. ✅ Make it fun on the shopfloor by creating instore incentives and competitions to help the team feel motivated. One suggestion would be two games you can do with teams in Retail during trade: Shopfloor Bingo and a Beat the Boss challenge. These games are great for setting sales targets or selling certain product categories. What is 🫵 your Retail organisation doing with only 3 days left. How can you motivate the team on the Shopfloor to give one last drive to achieve the best sales of 2024?

Skills I’ve unintentionally mastered after 10+ years of working in Retail: 1. Multitasking When you’re thinking about amount of tasks you can accomplish simultaneously make it double. You’re not going anywhere without ability to manage daily store operations, while answering phone calls, participating in work chat, dealing with unexpected mall management visits and doing great customer service at the same time. 2. Resilience Another skill you’ll need to survive busy season in top performing store. Black Friday, public holidays, Super Sale, new product drops or unexpected busy hours can be really overwhelming if you are not used to work under pressure in a fast paced environment. 3. Making Customer #1 Priority Always! No matter how busy you are, how many tasks you have to accomplish in the next hour, how tired you are after doing floorset all day or maintaining store visuals during busy hours. No matter how much you already have on your plate always put on your smile and remember the main reason you are here: to help customers!