Retail Operations, Reimagined Through Digital Thinking Volume 3

Build the people, and the people will build the business.

They called me 'crazy' when I set targets HQ thought were impossible. They called me a 'genius' once we hit R80 million. I started with a broken team and a lot of fear; I finished with a Top 6 store and a 30% growth story.

This is the blueprint.

When I was first asked to take over a flagship store with 40+ staff, I’ll be honest: I was afraid. Up until then, I had managed teams of 15. Suddenly, I was looking at a massive workforce that would grow to nearly 70 during the festive season. I underestimated myself. But I had a leader who believed in me, and that belief became the spark for a 30% growth story.

If you are a manager feeling overwhelmed by a big team or a broken culture, here is the playbook I used to turn a "broken" store into a Top 6 powerhouse. Objective: Move from reactive reporting to a proactive, data-driven performance culture.

1. People Don’t Work for Companies; They Work for People

When I arrived, the team was broken. Previous leadership had left them discouraged. I knew that before I could fix the turnover, I had to fix the trust.

• Lead by Example: I didn't sit in the office. I was on the floor, working just as hard as they were.

• The Philosophy: My team needed to know I would fight for them just as hard as I expected them to fight for the targets. Trust is a two-way street—if they know you have their back, they will put it all on the line for the vision

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2. "Open the Gates": Transparency over Gatekeeping

In many companies, information is power, and managers "gatekeep" it. I did the opposite.

• The Friday Meeting: Whenever I came back from a high-level head office meeting, I immediately scheduled a meeting for my store. I created my own slides and presentations to translate the "big corporate vision" into a "store-level mission."

• 40 Leaders > 1 Boss: I stopped trying to be the "Boss" who wanted to feel important. I realised that having 40 leaders on the floor is infinitely more powerful than having one boss watching over everyone’s shoulder.

3. Guerrilla Marketing: The 90k TikTok Revolution

I treated my store as my own business. I saw a gap: new stock would arrive (like the latest Jordans), but it wouldn't be online or in the "official" marketing for weeks.

• The Move: I started a TikTok account for the store. I didn't make it about me; I empowered two of my staff members (non-management) to be the faces of the brand. We grew that account from 9k to 90,000 followers.

• The Result: This wasn't just "likes"—it was foot traffic. People walked straight into my store asking for products they saw on our TikTok.

• Standing My Ground: I faced massive backlash from HQ. I was told to take it down. I was told, "You will get fired for this." But I knew the consumer was tired of boring corporate ads; they wanted real people. I stood my ground, the store succeeded, and ironically, the company later adopted the exact same strategy as their "new" marketing direction.

4. "Crazy" Genius & High Targets

At first, the team thought I was crazy. I didn't just aim for company expectations; I set our internal bar significantly higher.

• Internal Benchmarks: I stopped looking at what other stores were doing. I focused on us.

• Celebrate Small Victories: Once we started winning, that "crazy" manager suddenly looked like a genius. Winning became the norm. When the team feels like winners, they stop doubting the goal.

5. Digitalize to Scale (The Tech Bridge)

You cannot manage 70 people via WhatsApp. I decided to digitalize our operations using Google Forms and digital checklists for department leaders.

• Follow up & Test for Understanding: Giving an instruction is easy; ensuring it was understood is the hard part. By digitalizing our KPIs, everyone knew exactly where they stood in real-time.

The Cultural Impact

The real 30% Growth win wasn't the money; it was the shift in energy. We stopped being a group of people who just "showed up for a shift" and became a community of owners. By opening the gates of information and empowering 40+ leaders, the store began to run itself. The "broken" culture was replaced by a benchmark that other managers began to study. We didn't just sell sneakers; we proved that when you give people a sense of belonging and a voice (like our TikTok revolution), they will move mountains for the brand.

Result: when you empower 40 leaders instead of one boss, the growth is limitless

The Takeouts (The "Brains" for the Reader)

• Trust is the Highest Currency: People work for leaders, not companies. Fight for your team, and they will fight for the target.

• Disruption is Necessary: If HQ says "No" but the customer says "Yes," listen to the customer. The TikTok account proved that being "real" beats being "corporate."

• AI Needs a Human Heart: Digitalizing with Google Forms and AI tools creates efficiency, but the "Human Touch" is what pulls the leads and closes the sales.

• Buddy Up for the Win: Don't just focus on the best. Elevate your lowest performers by 10%, and you’ll see the biggest jump in your bottom line.

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