Colleen Quigley’s Post

"Jim, I'm giving you the freedom to fail." Those words from one of my great bosses, John Hardy, Atlanta Division Deli Merchandising Director. I'm the yellow chicken in the back. We were kicking off the summer 1986 season with a fried chicken promotion. For the record it took six rides on the Six Flags Over Georgia roller coaster to get the photo shot just right. I think everyone thought John was nuts when he said we were going to sell "cold fried chicken" in the deli cases at Kroger. That's right. Marinate overnight, fry the chicken, put it in the cooler overnight, display it in the case the next day. "A lot of people in the South like cold fried chicken the next day," John said. He was right. The chicken tonnage doubled in the Atlanta Division from this smart marketing move. This is one example of how he led me to experiment and be unafraid to try new ideas. One way I did that was to take our fresh-made pizzas and tilt them on display in upright refrigerated cases to catch the attention of shoppers on their way to the check-out lanes. That was a success too. By late August I was invited to fly with John to Louisville KY to the #1 deli in the Kroger company to see how to merchandise in the new European curved glass cases. We were met by the Cincinnati corporate head of Deli Merchandising. That kind of exposure never hurts. Looking back, I realize this was my first "sales" job. It wasn't line management like it was when I was a store manager. It was a role where you had to "sell your ideas" to other store managers and deli managers in order for them to improve sales and profits. We did over 15 grand openings of many new Kroger stores during my two-year merchandising role, from Rome to Newnan, Alpharetta to City Center. I realize it shaped how I would approach job roles over the years. I became the person my bosses would pick to pioneer new initiatives. And I succeeded. It's amazing what giving yourself the freedom to take calculated risks, the freedom to fail, can do for your mindset and your career. What initiatives have you taken while being unafraid to fail? Please share in the comments. #risktaking #merchandising #salestips #jimkerlinconsulting

Shelf Life I was hired as a manager, but working as an associate at Big 5 Sporting Goods We were 2 weeks from opening and moving into the old Gardenswartz Large boxes of exercise equipment were moved into a 20X40 stockroom, but my help wasn't needed The room quickly choked off, and product was left piled in a nearby hallway at the end of the day I heard talk a bigger stockroom was being considered, never mind the labor already spent I came in the next morning and went to work A classic mistake had been made. You must match the shelving to the product, not the product to the shelving Instead of two separate 6 shelf runs, I created a double sided single shelving unit down the center with 3 passthrough shelves All the boxes now fit horizontally across the shelving instead of the previous vertical setup There was even room for future shipments I heard the 2nd in command was pissed when he came in later in the day, but he was over it when I was done Two of the guiding principles of The Illusion of Competence If you do not respect the process, you will not improve the process You must be smarter than a box Boxes are kicking managers’ asses across retail and managers don't even know they're in a fight, much less getting a beat down Boxes are winning at all your stores, not just one. And it is costing you millions of dollars at scale The 1st step to winning a fight with a box? Realizing you're in a fight The Illusion of Competence There's far more to engagement than you know Mark Branson MBA MSL Catch The Illusion of Competence in Theory and in Practice this Friday on LinkedIn Live This week, days the box won P. S. I will improve your operations at a level previously unimagined. Be the difference maker. Book that Intro Call Win the fight #leadership #management #innovation #retail #tech

Shelf Life I was hired as a manager, but working as an associate at Big 5 Sporting Goods We were 2 weeks from opening and moving into the old Gardenswartz Large boxes of exercise equipment were moved into a 20X40 stockroom, but my help wasn't needed The room quickly choked off, and product was left piled in a nearby hallway at the end of the day I heard talk a bigger stockroom was being considered, never mind the labor already spent I came in the next morning and went to work A classic mistake had been made. You must match the shelving to the product, not the product to the shelving Instead of two separate 6 shelf runs, I created a double sided single shelving unit down the center with 3 passthrough shelves All the boxes now fit horizontally across the shelving instead of the previous vertical setup There was even room for future shipments I heard the 2nd in command was pissed when he came in later in the day, but he was over it when I was done Two of the guiding principles of The Illusion of Competence If you do not respect the process, you will not improve the process You must be smarter than a box Boxes are kicking managers’ asses across retail and managers don't even know they're in a fight, much less getting a beat down Boxes are winning at all your stores, not just one. And it is costing you millions of dollars at scale The 1st step to winning a fight with a box? Realizing you're in a fight The Illusion of Competence There's far more to engagement than you know Mark Branson MBA MSL Catch The Illusion of Competence in Theory and in Practice this Friday on LinkedIn Live This week, days the box won P. S. I will improve your operations at a level previously unimagined. Be the difference maker. Book that Intro Call Win the fight #leadership #management #innovation #retail #tech

As a retail store manager, success is all about managing the office and sales floor capably. Boosting sales and increasing the store's bottom line, staffing, budgeting, and inventory are just some of the responsibilities that come with the job. A good retail manager sees the big picture, leads sales, and ensures store operations run smoothly. Strong management skills are essential when supervising employees, working with vendors, and resolving customer disputes. #RetailManagement #LeadershipSkills #CustomerExperience

The worst thing store managers do to themselves is they underestimate their potential.😔 This evening, I met a store leader from a reputed brand. I casually asked him how his store performed this big National Day weekend. ‘We did horrible!’ he said. I asked why. Other stores from his region performed far better than his, and his Area Manager said, ‘You should learn from others’! I said it’s ok; time will change, and you’ll be at the front one day. But he insisted that he thinks he is not capable enough. Whether the Area Manager is at fault is a debate for another day. But no store leader should beat themselves up for their store performance. Store management is like a rough sea and store leaders are the sailors. There is no fun in this job if we don’t see the ups and downs. P.S.: What would you say to this store manager to cheer him up?🤔 He will be following this post closely. #retail #storemanager #retailmanagement

Post Expo seems like a great time for this. Allow me to reintroduce myself...my name is Wade Yenny, and I'm looking for my next professional opportunity/journey. Born and raised in Ohio, I spent the first part of my career in the restaurant business. Starting as a short order cook in high school and working my way into salaried management while still only 18 years old. I learned all aspects of that business, from front of house, to back of house, managing, and culminating in me actually owning my own restaurant for over 2 years. I transitioned into the grocery business with the same mindset. I needed/wanted to learn all areas of that business, so I spent a full year working every area of Center Store (and beyond). Grocery, Dairy, Frozen, Beer/Wine, Receiving, Night Stock, Merchandising, Cashier, Carryout--you name it-I did it. Eventually, I was promoted to be a salaried Grocery Manager. I made the move to corporate buying about 20 years ago and have worked with a variety of companies ranging from 4 stores to 161, covering formats from family owned conventional to high end natural organic to focused specialty. I've held various positions from Buyer to Vice President, and have been promoted at every company along the way, all the while building people, relationships, and brands. I've been asked...what do I want to do next? I've said I'm open to any/all conversations, but at the core, I want to do what I do best... Develop and Build. -People. -Relationships (both internal and external). -Brands. That's me in a nutshell...so... Do you want to #workwithwade? Or...do you know of an opportunity that might be a good fit? Reach out...and let's talk. “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take”  -Wayne Gretzky #grocery #cpg #sales #retail #crawlwalkrun

I’m excited to see Bath & Body Works debuting its “Investing in You” program, which will support education and development for its associates nationwide. As reported by Retail Dive: “We are committed to providing growth and development opportunities, which give our associates what they need to be at their best both personally and professionally,” Gina Boswell, Bath & Body Works CEO, said in a statement. “We believe that when people feel valued and empowered to be successful, we can continue to grow as a stronger, smarter business.” I couldn’t agree more! Rewarding and supporting your associates is a critical component of retaining the top talent. We’ve spoken a lot about this in recent webinars, as building a culture of trust and growth should be a priority for all retailers. Retail associates give so much each day as the faces and backbones of retail organizations, and it’s by giving them opportunities like this that you show them they are valued—and maintain them as engaged, loyal team members. At a time when retention has been an ongoing problem for retailers, initiatives like this are the future, and I hope to see even more retailers continue to prioritize their associates in this way. What other retailers are taking these same steps forward? ⤵ #LearnMOHR #RetailTrends #Retail

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

Take care of your people, and your people will take care of you. Simple as that.

👩💼 District Managers OR ✅ Checklists? You need to check brand standards across your retail or hospitality business, for all franchisees and locations. How do you do that? Do you rely on district managers, their experience and personal touch or do you deploy checklists for all to fill-out? #DistrictManagers #Operations #BrandStandards #RetailSuccess https://lnkd.in/g-DcyAT7