Nick, Regional Director – South
What does your role entail?
Creating a retail environment where people can deliver at their best. I drive profit and upgrade talent in 135 Blacks and Millets stores, working closely with my team of six Area Managers. It’s a role that involves probing and asking a lot of questions – about the way we operate and also keeping in touch with changes in the retail market. My job is to make sure we’re always one step ahead of the competition – and optimising the potential of every store.
How are the stores changing?
Radically. As well as the introduction of our new Concept Stores, we’re also upgrading all our other outlets through redecoration and new visual merchandising methods. Our objective is to create an environment that is easy and enjoyable for customers to navigate.
What’s career development like at Blacks?
We’ve reviewed our retail structures and as a result created ‘bigger’ roles. Our Town / Cluster Managers run anywhere from two to four stores. It provides the ideal stepping stone from Store to Area Manager. Similarly, we’ve created a Regional Manager role that sits between our Area Manager and Regional Director roles. We’re committed to succession planning – and we also create bespoke development plans and projects for talented Managers.
What’s internal communication like?
There’s a very strong link between Retail and Head Office. We meet monthly to exchange ideas and plan new initiatives. In addition, we listen very closely to what the people working in our stores are telling us. At the moment we’re doing an attitude survey, so our people can let us know what’s working well – and share their thoughts on how the business can be improved. We also run regular targeted focus groups to gain a better understanding on key subjects.
Why should someone join Blacks as an Operational Manager?
For those with entrepreneurial flair who relish autonomy, Blacks is a great place to develop. There’s a flat structure here which will enable you to shape your own future and that of the business.