Kieran Lowery

• Introduced better standards and structures.
• Implemented loss prevention strategies for reducing shrinkage levels in the store.
• Delivered exceptional service standards by promoting team collaboration and commitment.
• Implemented innovative visual merchandising techniques which led to increased shopper interest.
• Ensured smooth running of daily operations with efficient resource allocation.
• Provided coaching support for staff members which resulted in enhanced performances.
• Coordinated promotional activities for achieving higher brand visibility on the shop floor.
• Oversaw recruitment process thereby ensuring best talents were hired into the retail team.
• Optimised merchandise display, contributing to improved store aesthetics and shopper engagement levels.
• Recruited and trained staff members, leading by example to consistently elevate store standards.
• Analysed sales figures, identifying areas to improve and implementing remedial action.

• Managed 3 busy Eurospar/VivoExtra sites.
• Monitored and reviewed operational performance, aiding improved business strategy.
• Analysed financial data to track and achieve budget targets.
• Tracked and reported on KPIs, investigating variances and developing solutions.
• Led and coached managers/supervisors to meet performance targets and deliver operational excellence.
• Cultivated continuous improvement environment, routinely identifying and addressing training needs to drive development.
• Analysed operations data to identify process gaps and successfully implement change.
• Brought in exceptional candidates to boost team productivity and operational efficiency.
• Conducted weekly electronic audits to create feedback and actions for all stakeholders

• Sales: Overseeing and developing sales in both stores, using ‘knowns and successes' from the established Hill Street store to drive and develop sales in the new Dublin Road store.
• Marketing: Incorporated Dublin Road into existing marketing plans to ensure both stores are pushing key messages through print adverts and social media platforms.
• Overheads/Cost Control/Profitability: Weekly meetings with stakeholders and financial controller allows me to put plans in place to both maintain and improve controls in Hill Street and to drive and implement same controls in Dublin Road. This is centred around key costs of wages, shrink and stockholding.
• Merchandising/Store Standards: Based in Hill Street and undertaking daily visits to Dublin Road for store walks with manager and detailed notes left with a view to providing direction and ideas to improve all aspects of the store and in doing that improving the customer experience.
• People Development: Implementing personal development plans by utilising Musgrave training facilities for staff at all levels ensuring that HR policies and procedures are in place and adhered to.

Recruited in October 2007 to manage and develop SuperValu, Hill Street, Newry, a 10,000 sq.ft store employing 120 staff.

• Sales: Delivered continued growth consistently over 10 years constantly analysing past performance to develop accurate forecasting for future plans. Strong commercial awareness of local competitors to benchmark and drive for results. Used our unique fresh food offering as a platform to develop and promote the store as a destination for fresh food.
• Marketing: Strong marketing plans implemented and maintained in print media and instore to raise profile and promote value, quality & service message. The stores social media marketing strategy has been held up by Musgrave as a template for best in class.
• Overheads/Cost Control/Profitability: Constantly reviewing sales and overheads to ensure budgeted profitability levels are achieved and improved. Managed known shrink, initially, to a group best of 0.49% vs a then group average of 1.5% (currently running at 0.68% vs a budget of 0.7%). Delivering wages balance which allows for superior customer service and labour required for high service fresh departments, whilst also ensuring productivity per head is operating at its highest level to maximise profitability.
• Merchandising/Store Standards: Changed entire store over a sustained period to achieve a better balance and flow to encourage footfall and improved spend. Implemented improved layouts and ensure they are maintained via ‘gaps policy' and attention to detail on an ongoing basis. Increased range significantly and will source products to meet any customer requests. Developed fresh food departments to establish a real point of difference vis-à-vis competitors. Aware of need to constantly evolve, change and adapt to meet all new and potential challenges.
• Customer Care: Re-trained and developed all staff to deliver exceptional customer service standards via effective communication and ongoing training plans. Constantly promoting the importance of a polite, courteous and responsive culture within the store
• People Development: Responsible for all aspects of staffing from recruitment through to staff development and training. Constantly promoting the importance of the link between effective teamwork and the achievement of a common objective. Enjoy the process developing staff to help them realise their full potential, to date I have trained and developed five colleagues from part time student through to managerial positions, two of which are now successful independent store managers in their own right.

Key Projects:

• Helped design, plan and deliver a £120k major refit of the Hill Street store during October 2015
• Responsible for designing the interior plan, layout, category plan of a new 5000 Sq ft Supervalu which opened outside Newry in March 2017
• During this project I worked directly with the Musgrave store development team and was successful in that the majority of my ideas were used in the final format.
• The store subsequently won Best Newcomer at the 2017 Neighbourhood retail awards
• Hill Street store has consistently been a top performing store in Supervalu estate (30 stores) from 2009 in terms of fresh food participation, store standards & turnover,

Recruited in September 2006 to manage a 6,000sq.ft Cost cutter outlet in Camlough, Newry.

• Sales: Increased turnover by £10-£12k per week in first year.
• Merchandising: Implemented new layouts throughout the store.
• Stockholding: Introduced a new stock and order system.
• Profitability: Set up deals with key suppliers and changed product sourcing to improve profitability.
• Customer Care: Improvement in how staff deal with customers.
• People Management: Ongoing recruitment and training of new and existing staff.

Recruited in January 2006 to set up a new 8,000sq.ft Eurospar outlet in Armagh.

Responsibilities:

• Sales: Worked with Henderson's and outside suppliers to secure introductory offers to drive value awareness.
• Cost control: Regularly assessed costs to ensure they were in line with the store's trading patterns.
• Merchandising: Constantly impressing upon staff the need to always present the store at its best
• Stockholding: Twice-weekly Henderson deliveries and correct stock and order procedures based on available information.
• Variation: Kept loss to a minimum at all times by using back office systems.
• Customer Care: Impressed upon staff a ‘customer first' attitude.

• Sales: Continuously driven to maximize sales performance against budget/peer stores
• Variation/Stock loss: Obtained targeted balance between sales and waste
• Stockholding: Ensured efficient and effective stockholding to always have sufficient quantity and type of product available
• Overheads/Productivity: Reduced overheads and cost of sales to meet and exceed budgetary requirements
• Merchandising/Store Standards: Maintained high standards on layout and promotion of stock, constantly aware of cause/effect on sales through merchandising
• Customer Care: Driven and motivated to ensure 100% customer service
• People Management: Responsible for staffing (100 staff) in terms of recruitment and training in various departments.

• As assistant manager of the then largest store in the group (In terms of turnover) my role and responsibilities covered all aspects of the day-to-day management of the store, including stock ordering/replenishment; promotions planning/set-up; staff management (300 staff); stock loss/variation; general merchandising/standards; staff productivity/performance; departmental sales performance; customer care.