VINCENT AYMARD

My experience in U.A.E is short but intense I opened, in a new area, the first traditional 75 000 sqf Hypermarket for a group which had essentially non food supermarkets in Sharjah and Dubai (Challenge: opened a Hypermarket in a new site within 3 months.

•Directly involved in the management and the control of the construction site (before opening) with the different corporate companies, suppliers and with Sharjah municipality.
•Oversee administrative and commercial procedures & authorizations towards the municipality and towards its various services (sanitary services, immigration, recording commercial license …).
•Find serious partners for main sectors such as, fruits and vegetables, butcher and fishmonger.
As well as companies interested to rent counters to provide a various range goods offer & services balanced expected in a Mall by the clientele. (ATM, optical services, branded perfumes and cosmetics, jeweler, branded watches, tailor, steam-pressing, electronics equipments & computers…).
•Contracting with major suppliers of the UAE, with concerns to adapt offer to specificities of Sharjah clientele with important Indian proportion and competitors (essentially CARREFOUR and other supermarkets).
•Create a team spirit through train of salesmen, cashiers, supervisors, managers and accountants for most without previous experience (except a senior accountant) in a very short time.
•Implementation of an individual in-service training for all employees in each department.


Currents results

•75% of the breakeven point had been achieved after only 4 months, with 3 consecutive months between + 9 to + 10% turnovers.
•About quality & professionalism of my employees, for most of them, on their way to continue improving their knowledge.
•Range goods offer continually improving by lessoning customer needs toward salesman, managers & cashiers feedback and sales data.
•By improving the quantities and varieties of promotions.
•December, very important issue with suppliers after 4 months of good mutual business to re-negotiate their involvement regarding discount, gondola price, promotion, …) to improve customers attraction and profitability.
•Raise and improve control means (Local Price Offer, visit other competitors for price and promotion offers).
•Continually improve efficient relationship with suppliers.
•Develop computer system efficiency in direct link with the provider of the system.

Able to manage in complete autonomy a cost and profit center in one of the most recognized demanding economic sector as Supermarket.  In terms of mastering turn-over (able to take the rights decisions to increase it with help of my Team using allowed means). In terms of human resources management (hiring/training/checking), also mastering the level of commercials margins (purchase/mark-down and inventory shrinkage). Be the responsible for the operating account and for the possible between physical inventories an theoretical stock.And all of these tasks to reach targets within the framework of a general policy, determined by my care and validated by the head office.:    SUPERMARKET MANAGER FRANPRIX (Paris III) GEANT/CASINO International Group (COGEFISD) Situation: Store on constant loss (- 20 % per year since 2002)RESULTS:          - End of first term:  + 0.7%                                  - Closure in 2007:   + 8%                                  - Closure in 2008:   +10.2%   Determine the problems/proposed solutions:1 No private parking in front of store.      • After negotiations with the Mayor: private parking for customers was created.2.No implication in commercials activities.       • After further negotiations with the municipality, participation to all commercials events without any registration fees for two years. 3.No delivery service.      • Creation of a delivery service with efficient means to carry and protect dairy and frozen goods.4.No good looking store      • Refurbishing of the store (new storage unit, new paint, new signs inside and new hoardings outside)5 Carelessness in Fruit & Vegetable and dairy items departments (essentials for the store benefits and It’s image)       • An increase offer and an improvement of the appearance for Fruit & Vegetable and dairy items departments (with special attention to the freshness, cleanness and expiration date)6.No mastery of the concept of ”proximity business” (regular customers live at less than 10 minutes from the store)      • Better welcoming atmosphere and better help to the store customers from employees (buying help, advice, information, special orders, for F&V one or two ideas for cooking each day etc…)      • Improve politeness from cashiers and help customers puts items in their bags…     Main key word :   « ALWAYS LISTEN AND HELP CUSTOMERS»7.No special dedicated sector for each employee.       • Setting up a dedicated responsibility sector. Responsibilities include: managing orders, stock and stock rotation, as well as the cleanness.8.Goods offers were not quite equilibrium for customers.      • Create a questionnaire to allow a better understanding of customers expectations (in terms of range goods and services). For example: buy a «bakery oven» for fresh baked bread all day long. 9 .No financial interest for employees to motivate them.      • Bonus for every employee based on turn-over and Margin.      10. Problem with perishable goods orders, which is a very sensitive sector (dairy goods and F&V) that may affect ALL the supermarket commercials margins.            •Action taken:               o These two sectors must be controlled by the managers to avoid extra orders. 2004 – 2006: SUPERMARKET MANAGER FRANPRIX (PARIS) .  GEANT/CASINO GROUP (PRO-DISTRIBUTION)   TASKS:• Equilibrium range goods offer (all departments)• Remind the employees on the concept of selling (warm welcome, cleanness, advise, FRANPRIX services, buying assistance …),• Training the personnel (radius setup /ordering/ cashier management),• Stock management.RESULTS:   + 9%   in 2004       + 11% in 2005