Area management: a career to make your head spin
Managing across a multi-site environment is a serious test for any retail operations professional; it's also the first step into the big leagues, delivering on corporate strategy rather than single-store goals. It's tough, it's potentially lucrative and it could be a career ready for the taking if you've got what it takes and know how to get in.
Why would you want to?
Area management is pretty hard work and requires a particular mindset to survive - let alone thrive! So what's the allure?
- Money: a step up into multi-site management usually means a nice bump in salary. There are always going to be exceptions to this - the store manager of a huge supermarket isn't guaranteed to earn more money becoming an area manager of a much smaller chain of stores.
- Responsibility: if you've been a store manager it's kind of what's next, the chance to apply your skills across a wider domain and driving business goals rather than dealing with customers.
- Stepping stone: once you've managed across a multi-site domain it is far easier to land a similar job, even with a company in another sector. It's also a step towards more senior strategic roles within a business, such as retail director, etc. Skills you'll need to succeed
There's no precise personal blueprint for being a successful area manager; styles and skills may vary widely according to the individual, the organisation and the sector. However, there are some common qualities and skills that anyone wanting to make the leap into multi-site management is going to need to have, such as:
- A driving licence! Area managers are always on the move, from store to store across their territory.
- Resilience: working long hours with no fixed base and limited time to deal with individual issues can take it out of you.
- Organisational skills: when you're dealing with multiple stores and hundreds, even thousands, of staff, being able to prioritise and delegate tasks, manage your time and operate effectively is paramount.
- Multi-tasking: as per above you need a multi-track mind capable of juggling and rearranging a series of tasks in a constantly changing environment.
- Ability to communicate and motivate: it's down to you to ensure each of your units is delivering against target and that their management teams understand and have bought into company goals.
- Monitoring KPIs and budgets: As the area manager your role will also focus on ensuring key performance targets are hit store-by-store, be it sales against budgets, costs against budgets, operational standards or overall financial contribution by store. The analysis of store performance will include breaking down units-per-transaction, average total volume of stock and sales conversion.
Why would you want to?
Area management is pretty hard work and requires a particular mindset to survive - let alone thrive! So what's the allure?
- Money: a step up into multi-site management usually means a nice bump in salary. There are always going to be exceptions to this - the store manager of a huge supermarket isn't guaranteed to earn more money becoming an area manager of a much smaller chain of stores.
- Responsibility: if you've been a store manager it's kind of what's next, the chance to apply your skills across a wider domain and driving business goals rather than dealing with customers.
- Stepping stone: once you've managed across a multi-site domain it is far easier to land a similar job, even with a company in another sector. It's also a step towards more senior strategic roles within a business, such as retail director, etc. Skills you'll need to succeed
There's no precise personal blueprint for being a successful area manager; styles and skills may vary widely according to the individual, the organisation and the sector. However, there are some common qualities and skills that anyone wanting to make the leap into multi-site management is going to need to have, such as:
- A driving licence! Area managers are always on the move, from store to store across their territory.
- Resilience: working long hours with no fixed base and limited time to deal with individual issues can take it out of you.
- Organisational skills: when you're dealing with multiple stores and hundreds, even thousands, of staff, being able to prioritise and delegate tasks, manage your time and operate effectively is paramount.
- Multi-tasking: as per above you need a multi-track mind capable of juggling and rearranging a series of tasks in a constantly changing environment.
- Ability to communicate and motivate: it's down to you to ensure each of your units is delivering against target and that their management teams understand and have bought into company goals.
- Monitoring KPIs and budgets: As the area manager your role will also focus on ensuring key performance targets are hit store-by-store, be it sales against budgets, costs against budgets, operational standards or overall financial contribution by store. The analysis of store performance will include breaking down units-per-transaction, average total volume of stock and sales conversion.
Becoming an Area Manager
There is no getting away from the fact that companies recruiting externally for area managers will want previous multi-site experience. It's a pretty tough sell for even a senior store manager to convince an outside company that they are ready for the step up. Tough, but not impossible. It's a better bet, however, to aim to progress within your own business. So how do you go about doing that?
- Increase your profile in your company: if you have the chance to support your area manager on a specific project or even deputise for them, grab this opportunity with both hands.
- Show more initiative and make sure it gets noticed: ideas to improve store performance and the energy to drive them through will single you out as someone on the up. But don't just hope your efforts get recognised, make sure the higher-ups get to hear about it.
- Seek out extra responsibilities: nothing will show your boss that you're ready for a larger role more than you actually asking to broaden your remit. You might also want to indicate that you'd consider relocation for the chance to move into area management.
- Ask an existing area manager how they made the leap: start with your own boss;see what they did to progress.
- Increase your profile in your company: if you have the chance to support your area manager on a specific project or even deputise for them, grab this opportunity with both hands.
- Show more initiative and make sure it gets noticed: ideas to improve store performance and the energy to drive them through will single you out as someone on the up. But don't just hope your efforts get recognised, make sure the higher-ups get to hear about it.
- Seek out extra responsibilities: nothing will show your boss that you're ready for a larger role more than you actually asking to broaden your remit. You might also want to indicate that you'd consider relocation for the chance to move into area management.
- Ask an existing area manager how they made the leap: start with your own boss;see what they did to progress.