comment MAUREEN HOOKERRetail Sales Manager of Bakers & Larners of Holt in Norfolk On the move
Retail sales managerMaureen Hooker is semi-retiring aſter 23 years with department store Bakers & Larners of Holt in Norfolk
What’s your background? Prior to joining Bakers & Larners of Holt, I was a swimming instructor for 16 years and worked for 12 years within the motor factor business, supplying car parts and accessories. I came to Bakers & Larners of Holt for a
temporary six- week placement washing up and clearing tables. I was asked to stay on and progressed, working through a number of departments to my last role as head of department for home & garden. I held this position for seven years. I’ve worked for the company for a total of 23 years and still counting!
How did you spend an average day? Doing anything from serving customers and customer relations to ordering and staff management.
And how will you spend it now? I’m continuing to work for the company three days per week. The rest of the time will be spent with my family.
What was the best decision you made? Coming to work for Bakers & Larners of Holt. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the company - hence my reluctance to retire.
What will you miss most? The fun: the comradeship with the staff. There’s great teamwork throughout the company.
And least? There is nothing within the job that I particular hate.
What’s the most amusing thing that happened in your shop? Too many things to mention – we had a gentleman who stumbled in the shop and his toupee fell off. I had to help him back on with it!
What advice would you give to someone starting in housewares retailing today? Enjoy it and keep an open mind. You are not buying for yourself and have to think what other people would like and are looking for.
What’s been the biggest change since you became involved in the housewares industry? Innovation within the products.
During your time in the industry, what product has impressed you most and why? Horwood’s Stellar stainless steel three-tier steamer, because it works so well. It’s tactile, versatile and looks good.
Which housewares supplier and retailer has impressed you most and why? Supplier? Horwood, because a rep is always available to help and the company is really quick to help with any issues. The most impressive retailer would have to
be Bakers & Larners of Holt, as we have made numerous changes to the business over the last 20-plus years, bringing it to its current position as an award-winning store. [Bakers & Larners of Holt won the Britain’s Best Independent Department Store category of The Housewares Innovation Awards 2016 and
Approaching its 250th anniversary, Baker & Larners of Holt refitted its cookshop department in 2015 and in mid- March completed a £250,000 million refit of its food hall, with an all-new bakery and patisserie and a revitalised fine wine department
Maureen was awarded the title of Best Buyer Manager in the Association of Independent Stores (AIS) Kitchenware Awards 2014.]
Is it goodbye to the housewares industry or au revoir? Au revoir. I’m still working within the company for three days a week and my new role gives me versatility across all areas of the retail business. A lot of the credit for my success within the
company is due to the support given to me by managing director Michael Baker, who has encouraged me every step of the way, allowing me to progress to head of department.
Five years ago this month in Housewares Magazine…
• Argos reported a surge in sales of meat mincers, grinders and sausage makers in the wake of a recent horsemeat scandal.
• Housewares retailer Lakeland planned to swell its store numbers by as much as 50% over the next five years, to around 100 UK stores. (It currently operates 68 stores.)
• Specialist chain Steamer Trading Cookshop was due to open its 30th branch, in Scotland’s largest city of Glasgow, in the late summer.
• Housewares companies Dartington Crystal and Mistral Brands joined the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA).
• Fashion and homeware chain Next named Camberley in Surrey as
the location for its third Home & Garden store, due to open in the summer.
• Supermarket multiple Waitrose tripled its range of home baking products in response to huge customer demand.
• Dexam’s Rice Cube, Delia Online Silverwood bakeware, Eddingtons’ Poachies and Stellar 7000 pans were the best-selling products at Blairgowrie Cookshop (Perthshire), Cook & Kitchens (Darlington), La Cookshop (Durham) and Papyrus Cookshop (Glasgow) respectively.
Source: Housewares Magazine April 2013
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