A sales rep/student at 18 to Merchandising Leader & Tech capability
I started on the Frontline program in 1996, straight from school as a Sales Rep and studying for a Business Degree at the same time. After graduating I moved into retail/grocery as a Rep and then an Account Executive looking after supermarkets in Wales. Around 2010 I moved into the Team Leader position looking after a team of merchandisers who span across South Wales and up to Birmingham and across to Bristol.
The team leader role has been the most rewarding role to date and encompasses so many different jobs that no two days are the same. Looking after a variety of people from different backgrounds and age groups challenges your communication skills and ability to drive performance through people.
In March 2023 I have joined the commercial operations team as a Technical Capability Professional, looking after ShowPad and MyPOS.
I manage 14 Merchandisers, maintaining availability in Supermarkets
My team of 14 Merchandisers cover from West Wales across to Bristol and South Gloucester and they call into Grocery outlets; Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys.
Our key focus areas are availability of our products for consumers to buy, specifically at the front of store where impulse purchases are made and the fixture where consumers buy to take home or home shopping collect their orders from. We also maintain all other displays of our products that are on promotion and high traffic spots like meal deals.
Merchandisers are responsible for revenue growth, availability, coverage of a call base and set frequencies and compliance of cooler planograms and promotional displays.
My role is to drive results through the team with monthly days in trade, coaching them on efficient ways of working and developing them within role to progress through a development program and move into new roles.
Driving performance through people & seeing their success is rewarding
I really enjoy working with a wide variety of people, from all backgrounds, it's rewarding to see their progress and development especially as they move on to new roles within the business
Be confident in your abilities & have an open mind
Get to know as many people as you can within the company and embrace the culture. CCEP are striving for diversity and welcome everyone from all backgrounds and with new and different ideas.
We trialled a new version of the role that was adopted nationally
Two of my team and an account executive ran a 3 month trial to expand the breadth of the merchandiser role from looking after just front of store to being accountable for the whole store. This included new ways of working and communicating with the AE. We proved that this could work successfully and drive better results for the company and the new version of the role was adopted nationally. in 2018.
