Part 2:

Having worked in Jewellery for a few years in H Samuels, unofficially line managed a team member and planned the stock for a load of new stores as the company expanded; I was eager to try something new and move into fashion.

This led me to my next role in lingerie at BHS.  This shift really set me up to learn the intricacies of Merchandising. I went from managing a single SKU to juggling huge SKU counts on each product, which had its own unique challenges, 42 sizes anyone?  I learnt how to manage fringe sizes and balancing a reasonable level of stock availability with a tight cash budget.  At times I felt like I had been thrown in at the deep end and this was a steep learning curve, but one that I challenged myself with.

However, my time at BHS was not without its difficulties.  The infamous attitude of Phillip Green was less than ideal.  Although, my managers bared the brunt of his bad temper and worked hard to maintain an enjoyable working environment, I was frustrated by the lack of respect he had particularly for our suppliers.  I decided it was time for a change.  That change came in the form of Woolworths, a company with a more supportive atmosphere and a leadership team that knew how to work hard but have fun at the same time.

My role at Woolworths was again another huge learning curve.  This time, I moved from assisting my manager to being solely in charge of a whole department and team.  I had the pleasure of working in the Kids Ladybird clothing area which was one of the few successes in the company at the time.  Despite the fun times, there were red flags—like the fact that only the finance team had access to margin reports. These challenges taught me valuable lessons about transparency and the importance of having a solid support system at work.  It was here that I honed my skills in planning for future seasons, paying particular attention to critical dates like Chinese New Year and how to buy stock for new product categories that have no sales history.

Ultimately, it wasn’t a surprise when Woolworths went under. The company had expanded into too many areas and didn’t have the cash flow to buy the stock that was needed for Christmas. Also, the economy was struggling and the banks were going into crisis so stopped lending to a lot of companies.  When sadly the doors closed on Woolworths, I took the opportunity to travel to South America—a long held dream, hoping the economy might be in a better place when I got back.

Throughout my journey, it was the camaraderie with my managers and team members that kept me going. Retail is not for the faint-hearted; the long hours and stress can take a toll. But the relationships I built and the sense of achievement I felt kept me coming back for more.