Kayleigh Smith

JD Sports Fashion PLC is an established leading UK specialist retailer of fashionable sports and casual wear.

After successfully managing several stores and taken on the challenge to reinstate a transitional store to its former higher standard the opportunity arose to step up into a super mega store.

Using the mega store environment to develop my communication with Senior Management, I applied for the People Development Advisor role for the London Region, delivered a presentation and SWOT analysis during the Interview process and have successfully integrated myself into the Development team supporting the Region with the training initiatives.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS – People Development – London Region

• Delivery of Development Workshops (Operational & Behavioural) - Supervisors, External Managers and Academy Trainees ( Teams & Face to Face sessions)
• Produced and developed content - Supervisor Development Programme relaunched in February 2023, working alongside a PDM and the Design team to upgrade existing content, adding in engagement sections to be conclusive to learning
• Supervisor Development Programme - Administration and progress reports, ensuring training is completed to attain accreditation – virtual invites created for all workshops to manage attendance
• Management Induction Programme – External Managers inducted onto programme, an overview of the course and expectations of their development - regular Teams calls with MIP managers to ensure learning is taking place, to review training and set objectives for the following week
• Academy Programme – Deliver ILM content to internally promoted trainee managers
• Leadership Development Programme - Behavioural and Leadership training initiatives for Store Managers
• Pre-Academy workshops – Creation and planning of these workshops including VM training
• RVSM – Develop & maintain working relationships with London VM teams to link development workshops with VM
• Regional Manager and Area Managers – Regular review meetings (SDP Progress, Academy nominations and external manager progression)
• Academy Selection Process – Preparation and selection
• Trainee Academy - Guidance & Support throughout the 10 week programme
• Area Meetings – (Teams or Face to Face)
• Supported team by demonstrating respect and willingness to help.
• Improved efficiency and productivity by acquiring new skills.
• Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS – Management Retail – September 2017 to April 2022

Previous Posts – Store Manager – JD Maidstone – JD Hempstead Valley – JD Ashford – Senior Floor Manager Bluewater

• Maintaining a high specification store to company standards – Managing the teams on each section to sustain a visually impacting shop floor and an immaculate and organized back area for ease of trade
• Training and development of all staff from Sales Advisors to Store Managers – To produce a progression line, so that as one team member moves on to the next opportunity, there is a rolling progression to have a team member ready to step up and then another to fill that vacancy. Supporting as a training manager for externally recruited managers to learn the business structure before they are handed their own store. Successfully integrated seven external managers and progressed five supervisors, one of which has now graduated the Managers Academy
• KPI driven targets – These are a high priority for the company having several KPI's to achieve on a weekly basis. Manage a team in a more efficient way to produce the results week on week.
• Successful Stock Audit – this includes the preparation, on the day audit results and the operation to turn the store back around for trade the next day. First Stock Audit with the company was orchestrated solely by myself and achieved a result that was best in the region within that financial period. My subsequent audits have been to high standards and have continually been successful in achieving top compliance results and acceptable stock control percentage versus sales
• Health & Safety Management and Maintenance contracts – correctly report and deal with all incidents to ensure all staff/customers are safe whilst on the premises. To manage and prioritize each maintenance contract to ensure all controls and measures are in place during trading hours – to manage out of hours maintenance controls
• Operational – stock control/deliveries/consumable orders/compliance requirements
• Recruitment – facilitated staffing levels and recruitment process from advertising the vacancy to induction and training on the job.
• Payroll and HR – Ensuring all staff are paid correctly and on time. To deal with all disciplinary procedures and their outcomes

Select is a fashion retailer that specializes in women's fashion and accessories, offering the latest trends at affordable prices.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Sales and Customer Service – Target driven on KPI performance
• Motivate and manage staff to increase sales by ensuring good customer service is taking place
• Promote the highest of standards of presentation of merchandise using company guidelines
• Organize promotions, displays and events
• Check in deliveries and the quick turn-around of stock from the stockroom to the shop floor
• Maintain a safe working environment in line with the Health and Safety at Work Act
• Control Branch stock loss levels to within the company budget
• Cash management and safe handling of cash whilst holding cash or banking
• Maintain staff levels to the company budget – recruitment and appraisals
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with contacts within Head Office
• Stock control and maintenance
• Daily and weekly paperwork control – up to date and filed correctly
• Development of personnel – Training of key holders and new managers to the business
• Ensure a strong approach to discipline – staff uniform and sickness reporting
• Oversaw business staffing and training, building successful, customer-focused team.
• Enforced service standards to maintain establishment reputation for excellence.
• Kept business in compliance with internal controls, industry regulations and health and safety requirements.

Debenhams, as a company, is an online retail store that stock designer lines, at the time, they also had a large store base across the UK.

My duty was to ensure that exceptional standards were implemented and to work well with my teams to produce potential yearly growth and service that ensure a loyal customer base.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Sales/Customer Service/Telephone Communication
• Store card accounts - Managing a team to achieve weekly targets
• Merchandising/Visualizing plans form paper to rearranging store layout
• Team work/ Leadership/ Delegation of jobs/ Management of 3 divisions
• Cash handling/ Cash Office procedures/ Key holder
• Health and safety/ Fire hazards and evacuation
• Security awareness
• Duty Manager training
• Daily reports and figures/ Understanding targets and how to achieve them/How to influence sales to drive profit
• In store computing and work planner tasks – progressive tasks handed down from head office
• Dealing with customer complaints/queries
• Forward planning of calendar events throughout the retail year
• Commerciality – taking the action to maximize the margin
• Training and development of staff across the divisions
• Supported front-line sales teams with well-coordinated administrative operations.