Jonathan Mitchell

Describe what a typical day at work looks like for you.

My day involves running a busy Eurospar in the heart of the village of Cullybackey.  The team here truly care about their customers, I think this comes from the fact they are proud of what they have achieved and are passionate about the work they carry out.  The store offers everything the local customer needs which includes freshly made Barista coffee, Deli counter and hot food, in-store post office, James Gray local butcher, handmade fresh cream products, a large selection of chilled and frozen goods as well as our free delivery service to all our local customers.  I have learned that Cullybackey is unique both in the 52% fresh participation of sales it has, and its approach to customer service.  We have a large diversification of customer type coming through our doors as we are on a main connecting road between some bigger towns, but it is the attention to detail especially with the our local customers that sets us apart from our competitors.

The Typical day involves planning, organising and coaching staff to produce the standards and service needed to satisfy the needs of our customers.  I have made it a key priority to consistently give communication to the team on how we are doing in all aspects of the business, this helps to make people feel part of the team, motivates them to achieve the targets and gently pushes everyone in the same direction, I do this daily through our team huddles which I regard as the most important part of my job along with the many other duties.

Who and what are you responsible for?

I am the Store Manager responsible for all my management and staff, I am also responsible for maintaining this excellent store that provides a great service in the heart of the community.

How does your team fit in to the Henderson Group?

Our store is the public face of Henderson Retail and the Spar brand, therefore we have to ensure we provide the most professional and excellent service possible to our customers.  These customers ultimately buy the goods supplied by Henderson Wholesale and Foodservice which in turn keeps the whole group going forward year after year.

What are the best bits about your job?

The people I work with and the customers I meet.  No day is the same in my position and the variety of tasks I get involved with allows me to really get involved with my staff and greet my customers on a daily basis.  I am truly thankful that I enjoy my work and while I can accept the pressures you have to meet targets and objectives, I still leave the store each day with a sense of satisfaction and a knowledge that I will look forward to the next day.  The chance to be able to work alongside, train coach and inspire some very talented and driven people also give me great job satisfaction and solidifies the direction in which our company is travelling in.

What are the best bits about your company (Henderson Retail)?

As above, I know we have a company that continually invests in our future and not only does this mean we are at the cutting edge of retail convenience in Northern Ireland but it creates job security and pride in our work.

What is the best thing about your team?

The diversification in skills, abilities, ages and walks of life all joined together to form a great working unit that are known locally to be second to none in customer service and product quality allows me to have great pride in my team and I continue daily to tell them this.

What attracted you to the Henderson Group?

When I joined from Lidl, I primarily saw Henderson’s as a company that was at the forefront of Convenience Retail but also as an employer that had a great reputation of investing in their employee’s.  This meant I would have resources to progress both the store and myself and the people I would be responsible for and this was the biggest attraction to the Henderson Group.

When not working what can you be found doing?

I love spending time with my family, playing sports and attempting to complete tasks about the house that are on a never ending list!