These are extraordinary times & you are extraordinary people

LONDON – 13 March 2020 - “These are extraordinary times and you are extraordinary people” opened Chris Brook-Carter, MD of Ascential, at last night’s Retail Week Awards in London with guests including H&M, Aldi, Loaf.com and Pets at Home.

Chris’s message was positive and direct. Retail, as the largest collective employer in the UK, is defined by disruption; however, leadership must use this as a catalyst for this new era of business, embracing digital transformation with passion and purpose. 

Employees are looking to their management to buoy them, provide reassurance and give them direction. We must, therefore, support the exceptional individuals that make up our workforces, so that we can continue to be proud of this remarkable and resilient industry. 

This is also why one award stood out to me the most - Store Manager of the Year.

Photo: Business Matters

There were many worthy nominees, but the winner was Deborah Jeyachandran from The Co-op. Deborah’s story was an inspirational one, having moved to the UK at age 18 then building a life and career at The Co-op. Upon accepting the award, Deborah received a well-deserved standing ovation from all guests. 

As Tesco boss, Dave Lewis, acknowledged earlier in the evening, our businesses are made up of phenomenal individuals like Deborah, and without them, Retail would not be the incredible industry that it is today.

As a sponsor and attendee, Quinyx, a leading workforce management solution provider, would like to use this platform to congratulate all winners as well as nominees, and also to say thank you to the Retail Week Awards team and the staff of the Grosvenor House for taking the necessary measures to ensure the evening was safe and fun.

Author: Shauna Maney

Interested in learning more about how Quinyx can help your retail business? Don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at shauna.maney@quinyx.com.