Women in retail – advice from a female store manager

When it comes to the boardroom, retail may still be a male-dominated world, but there have been a lot of positive changes in recent times in this regard.

I’ve worked in a variety of retail roles at Sofology over the course of the past eight years, progressing to my current position as the Bolton store manager. One of the most encouraging developments recently was the appointment of Sally Hopson as CEO in 2018.

Before this, I experienced a variety of challenges and opportunities as a woman in the industry, learning lessons and picking up good advice along the way.

Be patient early on

A couple of years into my career, I was eager to progress into a management role, so I applied for an open position within the company. I was up against six men and, while I received some positive feedback, it was deemed that I wasn’t quite ready for the role at the time.

While it’s always disheartening to not get a job you put yourself forward for, it’s important not to let one setback like this throw you off. I could have given up at this point (and it was tempting at times) but being patient paid off. They let me move to a bigger store to gain more experience and a couple of years later, I took up an opportunity to manage a small team, which led on to my current role.

Boost your confidence

Part of the reason I moved to a larger store was to build my confidence early on, and it worked well. The main piece of advice I’d offer to any women in the retail industry, whether you’re just starting out or are looking to make that step up into a more senior role, is to believe in yourself.

Remain confident in what you’re doing and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. In many ways, taking a confident approach and making a mistake is a great way to not only learn, but also boost your self-esteem levels. Should you do something wrong, there will hopefully be someone there to help and support you, so next time you can confidently approach the task or issue knowing you’re doing it right.

Create a happy environment

From a management perspective, probably the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is how important it is to create a good environment for your team. This is something that can be recognised at all levels, for both male and female workers. A happier team leads to greater employee satisfaction levels, delivering better results and a more productive performance overall.

I want people to be happy when they come into work, in a positive environment where they can easily approach their manager when they require help and support. Having a good strong team beneath me with a mutual trust is the best measure of success. If you don’t have that then it should be something you work on, whether you’re in charge or a team member looking to form a better working environment.

As 60% of the UK’s retail workforce are women, it’s a good, diverse industry to work in. Continuing developments mean there are now more opportunities for women to grow and progress in the sector with a confident approach.

Laura Heyworth, store manager for sofa retailer Sofology