Moving On (part two) Goodbye shoppers.....

Hello friends of faith and non,

Thirty one years ago I left school at the age of just fifteen, I left with the lowest grades possible and on some occasions lower than that. My Mum was beside herself with worry at what I would do next, and after a 16 hour YTS placement as a trainee cricket grounds man fell through her stress levels accelerated dramatically. Then an opportunity to be a trainee golf pro with green keeping duties was turned down by my good self, the future was looking bleaker than a salesman flogging inflatable crocodiles on Southport beach. Well it was if you were my mother, for me it seemed a lot less concerning and one morning, I informed my parents I was going out to get a job.

Unlike now when I was a youth towns had lots of shops and I stumbled across a little electrical emporium affectionately known as Curry’s, I entered the shop hopefully and left the shop ecstatically. For kids of a less academic persuasion the preferred route for folk like me were YTS schemes.  Twenty six pounds was the going rate, and I had just walked out of a store with double the salary and guaranteed full time employment. My job title was to be Van Assistant which was a nice way of saying general dogs body and lifter of heavy things.

I worked for the Electrical magnate for a couple of years were I squandered most of my wages on vinyl records and ZX Spectrum software. I was a young man living the dream.

A bit more money led me to a small independent company based in Padiham, and as previous blogs cover a tale or two from that experience I shall swiftly move on and I shall also bypass a short experience as a confectionary rep working for a wholesaler that was significantly more expensive than its competitors. It resulted in poor performances by myself and the company and a rapid return to the retail sector!

I worked for a long standing family firm Harry Garlick TV Centre twice and it was only the enticement of selling sweets and crisps to unenthusiastic shop keepers that prevented it be a once in a lifetime experience. Harry Garlicks was unique to say the least and it was here that I ventured into the world of Retail Management; I was appointed Assistant Manager where the irony was that only two people worked there. I was the trusty right hand man until a fall out with the Manager resulted in a number of years floating between Nelson and Burnley and Burnley and Nelson.  The work was sedate, the company was male and the salary was poor enough to be lambasted by my late father in law for earning shit money! On the plus side the owners were genuine and humble, the job was secure and the laughs were unending.

The birth of the lad Joe, was a big thing in my life, I promised my partner (now wife) Sarah a house with a garden and not long after the boy arrived I was offered the role of electrical supervisor for a company called CBS a clearance division of the catalogue giant GUS (Great Universal Stores).

I spent a couple of years selling all the 'shite', customers had returned or didn’t want and some of the clientele  and sales were extraordinary. I watched and observed how not to manage people and problems as sickness levels rose and staff turnover increased until a wonderful Area Manager ironically a Mr Bishop recognized my potential and shipped me out to Chorley where I was placed under the leadership of a now very close friend called Kath, she was the first business leader that I believed in, she had the full skill package and knew how to get the best out of the customers and those that served them. She looked after me, she allowed me to make mistakes and she ensured I didn’t repeat them, she taught me the value of respecting colleagues and customers and she remains a huge inspiration in my life, we laughed together and cried together. The wisdom she imparted on me as she lit up another ciggie at the backdoor was vital and we have a enduring friendship that is special to both of us.

Through her leadership I became a leader myself, I helped open a big store in Castleford and was offered a wonderful opportunity with a big pay increase to go and work in Manchester. Long hours and a difficult environment was the opportunity on offer and after much pressure and persuasion I turned down the opportunity believing something else might come up. It did! It was to be at the dreary, unloved, low potential shopping precinct in Walkden near Bolton. I became the Store Manager. It was to be my first opportunity to be a store Manager and I took it with both hands, the store did really well under my stewardship and I started recognizing my ability to do even more than this. A rare treat was watching people meet Irish family favorite Jimmy Cricket, I had the opportunity to do the same but politely declined !

Fifteen years ago I joined Argos as the Deputy Manager at the store in Accrington, Unbeknown to myself I had joined a store that was in virtual terminal decline, moral was on the floor, bitching was common place and not many folk wanted to talk to me, let alone embrace me. It was horrible and I hated it, I really hated it and a Senior Manager from CBS caught wind of this and tried to entice me back to Great Universal Stores. The highlight of this experience was meeting a friend called Mark, He taught me so much about tolerance and single sex relationships,I'm not sure he is aware but he remains a pivotal part of my journey!

Back at the coal face I was ready for dumping Argos, brief case packed and already to go; in fact I resigned my position until one morning a Senior Argos Manager rolled up and persuaded me to stay by waving the wallet and asking me to run the Store on a short term basis. This was an incredible opportunity and one I was not going to let go. Even now it became one of the most rewarding and successful periods of my management career, I humbly report me and Mark and our team turned the store around and results and moral went through the roof to unprecedented levels, As a result of this I was permanently  appointed and encouraged to consider another unknown opportunity when the area boundaries changed shortly after.  I followed my line manager to the Greater Manchester area, in hindsight I shouldn't have he was a bit div! I briefly ran a store in Rochdale before accepting the Deputy Manager position at the Argos flag ship store in Manchester Ancoats, Argos didn't get bigger than this. This superstore took serious money, we had hundreds of staff, thousands of customers and I was way out of my depth! I learnt a harsh lesson at this point, money was a carrot but the huge increase in salary came at a huge loss, being that of happiness and job satisfaction.

Not long after I met another individual who was to have a massive impact on my life and career. An Area Manager named Paul was to be my salvation, we didn’t know each other but he recalled something outrageous I did at an Regional gathering at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and fortunately for me that moment of silliness was enough to persuade him to offer me a return to Store Management in the beautifully sounding Huddersfield Pack Horse Centre. It was to be a fantastic move where I rediscovered my mojo and started enjoying working life once more. The hour long commute was so useful as my sanity was restored under his inspiring leadership. Our personalities contrasted significantly which I believe was the recipe for success, never before had I had the trust and autonomy to lead a team of my own and I like to think I repaid his trust.

Within six months Paul gave me the keys to a wonderful opportunity which was to open a brand new state of the art store over in enemy territory Blackburn, which was to be my retail home for the next 9 years of my life. Daily routine was frequently interrupted by proudly being involved in the opening of new stores and conducting numerous disciplinary hearings and leading the area in Financial Services. At Blackburn Townsmoor the memories are far reaching, laughing with DK, going on the telly with Janine, Spotting a Mona Lisa in the toilet, and laughing, and laughing and laughing all the way with me dear mates, Whitto, Skelton, Mcca and Winfield !

Another area boundary shake up occurred and saying goodbye to a friend and boss Paul, was incredibly moving as this highly respected gaffer got the most wonderful send off you could possibly imagine. Vicky my new boss came onto the scene and remains my line manager to this day, we have had our ups and downs but I feel pretty certain a mutual respect between us both means a friendship will continue long after my final days as a shopkeeper. We have shared moments of hilarity and hysteria and we have had the difficult conversations regarding store performance and personalities. Blackburn Townsmoor is a beast of a store, it is not for the faint hearted and the management challenges it presents means nerves of steel and an iron will are required to get the best out of this retail juggernaut.

As Vicar Training approached I realized I couldn’t give the business what was required to run this monster and asked for a move, and what a move! To my beloved home town of Burnley Three and a half years of joy, utter joy. What personalities this store has, I'm not happy saying goodbye!

This retail blog could go on forever recalling some of the personalities that I have met and worked with over the years and if you are reading this and wondering if Alex remembers, this experience or that moment of hilarity, or the time we fell out, or the hard decisions that were taken then I probably do.

I have met hundreds of colleagues over the years; I have had the pleasure of working for a strong business Argos, they did indeed provide us that house with a garden. The people I have seen start as kids in their first ever jobs who have gone on to have successful careers is just brilliant. The promotion or recognition of friends I have worked with is just fantastic and The friends I have made are something I will treasure forever.

In all honesty I don’t think I was ever the finished package, I was never quite prepared to give my life and soul to the business and probably spent far too time entertaining the troops and making light of serious business matters. My philosophy was usually, why can’t we laugh all the time? I of course know that we can’t laugh all of the time, but that’s just me I suppose as I  happily prepare to give my life and soul in serving God.

What I do want to conclude with though is my massive thanks to all who have stuck with this blog thus far, it probably suggests we have a mutual respect and friendship and for that I am most grateful. Retail friends, you have been part of an utterly incredible journey and I never thought my pathway would change so dramatically and never envisaged leaving the retail world at the age of 45.

Thanks so much for being part of it, I have four weeks left in this working environment before taking a sabbatical before embarking on the next leg of life. I was presented with some wonderful gifts at my last Managers meeting that I will treasure forever. I hope the memories you may have of me as a shopkeeper in the main will be happy and positive. If I happened to have  been the one who dismissed you or encouraged you to leave the business, forgive me, it was just business!

I shall hold you all in my prayers

With much love

Alex (the Anglican)