SARAH WARD cv

1. SARAH WARD
7 TWYFORDS WAY, SHREWSBURY, SHROPSHIRE. SY2 5XN
Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone] Email: [email protected]
Date of Birth: 3
rd
May 1976 Additional: Full Clean Driving License & Car Owner
PROFILE
A highly motivated graduate with fifteen years experience in Retail
Management who possesses excellent motivational, administrational and
communication skills.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
November 2009- Current
Store Manager, Matalan, Telford, Shropshire.
(Acting Store Manager February 2009-November 2009)
 Store Manager for Store with annual turnover of £4.2 million on 26000
square foot with approximately 50 employees.
Key Accountabilities
 Achieve sales targets and manage profit and loss.
 Active Duty management.
 Manage all employee relation issues.
 Comply with due diligence to achieve audit and health and safety requirements.
 Lead by example by giving excellent Customer Service.
 Managing the payroll model and the effective deployment of resources.
 Manage stockroom and delivery standards.
 Recruitment, training and development and retention of employees.
 Commercial reviews to maximise sales and profit.
 Create store plans following phase layouts and visual merchandising guides.
 Implementing the POS strategy.
 100% promotional and sale implementation.
 Active promotion of the company loyalty card.
 Self development.
 Meeting with Store Team forums and delivering daily team briefs to actively engage
and involve staff in the business.
 Communicate with Area Manager, Area Field team, Head Office and all visitors to the
store.

2.  Coaching and development of the Management and colleagues in store to deliver
the company strategy and policies.
 Review the management team to aid development and succession planning.
 Inspirational leadership to all team colleagues of the business.
 Clear communication of business objectives via line management to the individual
store departments.
 Ensure conduct regular reviews of key reports to deliver all KPI’s.
 Profit Protection, Health and Safety and fire procedures, providing a safe working
environment.
 Conversion of the customer from a browser to a buyer through Customer
engagement, visual standards and availability.
KEY ACHEIVEMENTS
 Winning first prize in Christmas Incentive for achieving best sales versus
target for the 12 weeks of Christmas. This was a holiday for 3 nights in Rome in a 5
star hotel for two.
 Achieving 72% bonus based on Sales and Profit and Loss, one of the highest in our
Area.
February 2006-February 2009
Deputy Manager, Matalan, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
(Acting Store Manager Oct 2007-June2008)
 Deputy Manager for Store with annual turnover of £5.5 million on 35000 square foot
with approx 60 employees.
Key Accountabilities
 To support and act as the Store Manager in their absence in the Store Manager
Accountabilities.
 Deployment of staff in line with the payroll model, ensuring the right person is in the
right place at the right time.
 Ensuring the 6 key objectives are implemented - BMS, Model Stockroom, Visual
Standards, Availability, Customer Service and Duty Manager.
Key Achievements
 Whilst being in the role of acting Store Manager, increasing sales by 8% lfl.
 Receiving a personal bonus, out of just a handful of managers, in both 2008 and
2009 chosen by the Regional Manager.

3. June 2004- February 2006
Sales Manager, Matalan, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
 Sales Manager for the Menswear and Childrenswear Departments.
 The departments had an approximate annual turnover of £2.8 million on approx
15000 square foot.
 Previously the Sales Manager for the Homeware Department.
 The Homeware department had an approximate annual turnover of £1.2 million on
approx 8000 square foot.
Key accountabilities
 Supporting the Store and Deputy Manager to achieve Store KPI’s.
 Duty Management in the absence of the Store and Deputy Manager.
 Effective and Efficient handling of all stock to maximise availability, aid
replenishment and avoid unnecessary loss.
 Commercial reviews of my departments, using this to increase Sales and to control
Stock levels.
 Follow VM guidelines and implementation of phase layouts and POS.
 100% promotional and sale implementation.
 Performance Development reviews of store team.
September 2003-June 2004
Store Manager, Superdrug Stores plc, Bridgnorth, Shropshire.
 In this role, I was in charge of managing the store, which employed approximately 14
staff.
 Main responsibilities were to meet the company and Store KPI’s.
 Completed auditable documentation, booking in store invoices and cross referencing
all debits and credits to the weekly analysis.
 Managed staff deployment in line with payroll budgets.
 Coaching and development of all staff.
 Utilised in store documentation to implement store planograms and visual
merchandising to increase sales.
 Stock Control, communicating with Area Manager and Head Office.
 Reporting of all maintenance issues.
 Legislative responsibilities including price checking date coding and fire alarm tests.

4. October 2000- September 2003
Deputy Manager, Superdrug Stores plc, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
 In this role, I supported in managing the store, which employed approximately 20
staff.
 Main areas of responsibility were cash and administration.
 Other responsibilities were as the Store Manager role.
July 1998-October 2000
Relief Deputy Supervisor, Marks and Spencer, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
 Part of the ladies casual wear section, running two departments.
 Utilised store documents and in house computer systems to plan the sales floor
layout, ensuring each department had the appropriate amount of footage.
 Responsible for stock control, planning moves, communicating with Store
Management and other members of the casual wear team.
 Managed the shop floor, motivating and leading a team of up to 20 people per day.
 Led the early morning fill to ensure the sales floor was clear for store opening.
 Created deployment planners for five textile departments of approximately 120 staff
on a weekly basis.
 Responsible for customer service by using the customer ordering service, taking
payment for goods, manning the fitting room and keeping the general tidiness of the
store.
 Promoted from Sales Advisor in November 1999.
EDUCATION
Staffordshire University 1995-1998
 BA (Honours) Business Studies and Information Systems Grade 2:1
Staffordshire University 1994-1995
 BSc (Honours) Business Decision Analysis
Shrewsbury Sixth Form College 1992-1994
 A-level – Pure Mathematics and Statistics, Economics and General Studies
Shrewsbury High School 1987-1992
 9 GCSE’s Grade C and above including Maths and English
REFERENCES

5.  Excellent references available on request.