First step: DECATHLON
After graduating, I encountered the typical challenge faced by many recent students – finding an entry point for career advancement. Eventually, in 2014, I joined the exceptional team at DecathlonRussia as a store department manager. I am immensely grateful to Denis Akhmetshin, my first manager and a natural leader, who placed his trust in me and guided me through the challenging process of stepping into a significant role.
During my work at the big Decathlon store in Saint-Petersburg, I hired, led and motivated a team of up to 25 salespersons across diverse departments during peak seasons, got acquainted with the sales process, commercial policy, endless retail nuances and customer-oriented driven-management. Over a span of three years, we achieved remarkable results, recording a 210% department turnover growth and securing the best net margin nationwide. Furthermore, we expanded the store by an impressive 1500 square meters, continuously innovated, and always kept our mission to foster a passion for sports in every client.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of my time at Decathlon was promoting three members of my sales team into department managers. Decathlon's unique corporate culture emphasizes the significance of team member promotions, placing them at the heart of the organization. It is truly a rare sight to witness such a work environment, where employees genuinely receive the utmost care and attention, and it is assumed that a happy salesman means a happy customer. Decathlon's commitment to its employees is exemplified through a huge amount of diverse training opportunities, amazing team-building activities, regular one-to-one meetings, and comprehensive annual reviews that aid in building personal development strategies. The added incentive of becoming a company shareholder further contributes to a thriving corporate culture and thus the realization of global company goals.
While I deservedly obtained prospects for further growth within the company, these opportunities required relocating to a different city, which was not an option for me at that time. Consequently, I had to explore alternative career pathways. Nevertheless, my close association with Decathlon International persists, as I have forever become its devoted customer. Having been very familiar with the brand's production process, logistics and mission, I can assure everyone, that there is no another sporting goods store where the highest quality and wide range of the products doesn’t compromise affordability.
Would you agree with the importance of employee-centered approach, or are direct results always primary in retail?
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