Sharon's Convenience Store Report

Sharon Kane, newly promoted to area manager at Henderson Retail in Northern Ireland, reports on the challenges of the first month in her new role.

I have just completed the first month in my new role as area manager for Henderson Retail. As I left my store in Cullybackey, I must admit I shed a few tears. However, I’m not sure if it was because I was sad to leave or because I was thinking ‘why am I giving up the responsibilities of looking after one store, to take on the responsibility of 10?’

I have a good mix of stores, five are grocery convenience stores and the other five are petrol forecourts. They are situated in a range of locations: on dual carriageways, at the edge of neighbourhoods and right in the heart of housing estates. It will be interesting to discover the differences and similarities between the sites over the next few months.

One common factor impacting all our stores, regardless of location, is the weather. We have seen sales soar over the past few weeks because of the heat, and sales of deck chairs, loungers and fans have gone through the roof. It’s pretty uncomfortable when you are working, especially when you would rather be out enjoying the sun but hey, it’s fantastic for sales, so long may it continue.

Spar has recently launched a major range of own label products. Two people from each store were invited along to a presentation, featuring displays of the new products, and followed by a delicious lunch consisting only of Spar products. It was a great way to get retailers to buy into the products – everyone ate really well and has raved about how good the range is since.

Giving customers firsthand knowledge of a product, especially how good it tastes, is one of the best ways to get them interested in new lines.

The timing for the launch of the new range was ideal too because many of the new products are BBQ and salad lines.

I haven’t had much time in my new stores yet, since most of my first month has been spent on an induction.

Next month I’ll be able to give you a better insight into the trials and tribulations of looking after 10 stores instead of one.

Some say I must be mad and a glutton for punishment, but I think you have to keep giving yourself a challenge.