Sukanya Akarsh

• Extended period of maternity leave to bring up kids until old enough to start school.

• Passionate ,result oriented self starter and home furnishing specialist, continuously striving for better performance with right attitude and behavior to sell actively and help customers to buy as per their needs.
• Always energized by increasing customer value, driving business growth and contributing to overall success and results through people as well as motivated by leading and developing people.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• Managed over 50 employees and performed whole recruitment, selection, training and development programs for new employees and existing co-workers in different departments thereby leading business through people by demonstrating high leadership capabilities.
• Motivating and coaching sales team members towards achievement of work objectives by inspiring team using knowledge of IKEA product range and services, local market and IKEA customer.
• Support team to achieve their objectives by ensuring they understand the company business plan and objectives.

COMMERCIAL

• Understand the different IKEA sales and communication channels and IKEA know-how in order to make the best commercial use of this information for the new store specifically in Living room seating and Storage department.
• Create a commercial sales floor through sales steering by working together as a team and making things happen by championing flexibility, speed and simplicity.
• Optimized sales and profitability of the department through following up, conducting analyses and taking actions by using IKEA tools and expertise of the team.
• Ensured right number of competent co-workers in the right place at the right time and securing that they are fully able and available to serve customers and actively helping them to buy.
• Also ensuring the shop is in excellent shape as new and fully and efficiently always stocked with the four merchandising basics in place and that the IKEA product range is presented in ways that inspire and satisfy customers.
• Trained, coached and scheduled employees to improve store upkeep and operations.
• Applied performance data to evaluate and improve operations, target current business conditions and forecast needs.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Lead, coached and developed a high performing selling team that will strongly contribute to reach the common objectives aligned with agreed goals ,expectations and follow-ups. Provide feedback and coaching to others in compliance with the Performance Achievement process to support career development and address performance if necessary. Prepared own training plans for each Sales department and hands on IKEA knowledge for the betterment of the new co-workers to help them perform at their best before the store opens. Ensure the team has correct knowledge about the product range and the IKEA services to make sure customers can have a delighted customer experience while shopping.

MARKET ANALYSIS
Excellent analytical skills in understanding the market and prepared a competitive analysis routine and working methods for each co-worker to perform while doing the market analysis. Have interest in people’s everyday life at home and home furnishing. Had worked with different nationalities of IKEA co-workers to understand different market needs and give inputs to the sales leader to bring out products based on customer needs and dreams to make a brighter everyday life for the many.

• Highly self-motivated and determined with excellent leadership skills handling Living rooms, Seating and Media Storage with a team of 30-40 coworkers under my supervision.

COMMERCIAL

• Ensure that the store is in shape as new and has a strong commercial basics level in the Home furnishing business (HFB) during all opening hours
• Together with the Com & In secure that the IKEA store provides a commercial range presentation in the home furnishing business and that customers perceive IKEA as a competent home furnishing specialist.
• To focus on Commercial awareness by using and implementing the Commercial Strategy lay out on the sales floor involving the commercial group
• Having a follow up about KPI’s and having an action plan with the co-workers on various improvements possible.

MERCHANDISING

• Together with Logistics department ensure that sales forecasts of all products in HFB are adapted to the sales pattern so that the ordering process of goods leads to a healthy stock situation.
• Secure that all products in HFB are displayed according to the merchandising basics (clean, available on picking location, priced and well maintained) during all opening hours.
• Identify local market potential and work with my team and other functions to ensure store is locally relevant throughout the different sales channels.
• Doing proper sales steering by giving more priority to clear overstock thereby maximising sales and for higher margins, especially during weekends
• OPERATIONS
• To achieve the customer satisfaction goals set by the Sales Manager for area (measured by IKEA Brand and ICSS).
• Ensure that Showroom area is properly staffed with trained and qualified co-workers during all opening hours.

RECRUITMENT, SELECTION ,TRAINING AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT

• To manage selection, training and development programs for new co-workers.
• To ensure working methods, basic action routines and range information are understood and carried out in order to achieve objectives.
• Motivating sales staff towards achievement of work objectives.
• Support the team to achieve their objectives by ensuring they understand the company business plan and objectives.

• Provide highly strategic and tactical leadership and Department Manager of this leading company’s Store dealing in Consumer Electronics with main objective of running store / store departments to meet the Store’s targets and company policies
• Directly supervised team of 45
• Report to the Store Manager
• Responsible for maximizing store profit whilst minimizing costs, ensure promotions are accurate and merchandised to the company’s standards, staff are fully versed on target for the day and excellent customer care standards are met.
• Responsible for license renewals, getting mall permissions before store events and promotions
• Managing and motivating team to increase sales and ensure efficiency; managing stock levels and making key decisions about stock control; analyzing sales figures and forecasting future sales volumes to maximize profits; analyzing and interpreting trends to facilitate planning
• Perform sales analysis, data analysis for forward planning
• Managing staffing issues such as interviewing potential staff, conducting appraisals and performance reviews, as well as providing or organizing training and development; ensuring standards for quality, customer service and health and safety are met; resolving health and safety, legal and security issues
• Responsible for responding to customer complaints and comments; promoting the organization locally, organizing special promotions, displays and events; attending meetings; updating colleagues on business performance, new initiatives and other pertinent issues; touring the sales floor regularly, talking to colleagues and customers, and identifying or resolving urgent issues
• Maintaining awareness of market trends in the retail industry, understanding forthcoming customer initiatives and monitoring what local competitors are doing.
• Initiating changes to improve the business, to ensure the store can compete effectively in the local market; dealing with sales, as and when required.
• Communicating courteously with customers by telephone, email, and solving customers problems which may be complex or long standing.
• Supervised employees and assessed performances to determine training needs and define accurate plans for decreasing process lags.
• Introduced higher standards for customer service and increased efficiency by streamlining operations.
• Exceeded team goals and collaborated with staff members to implement customer service initiatives.
• Broadened strategic business plans to promote growth and sales goals while managing team and building long-lasting customer relationships.
• Aided senior leadership during executive decision-making processes and generated daily reports to recommend corrective actions and improvements.
• Conferred with sales teams and team leaders to communicate targets, boost revenue and improve promotional strategies.
• Resolved concerns with products or services to help with retention and drive sales.
• Researched and corrected regular, advanced and long-standing customer concerns to promote company loyalty.

• Responsible for directing daily operations and business plan implementation for the Home Centre Store of this leading Group dealing in FURNITURE & FURNISHING PRODUCTS/ Accessories
• Fully accountable to the Retail Manager (Concept Manager) to provide visibility and monitor productivity
• Manage a team of 30 staff
• Responsible for maximizing store’s contribution through exploiting every opportunity to drive sales, reduce stock loss and maintain cost controls and delivering the highest level of motivation to the staff members and development of team members
• Spearheaded and grew the Annual Sales Revenue of the significantly
• Ensuring individual and store compliance with all company regulations and procedures
• Responsible for deciding store-section layout and stock positioning and managing stock availability
• Responsible for applying and maintaining guidelines and standards for visual presentation and store –section appearance and recommending and coordinating in-store promotions
• Including all aspects of POS and store-section key control and cash management
• Responsible for ordering stock
• Planning and implementing promotional activities for the store to maximize the revenues
• Responsible for setting targets & budgets for the sales team as well as implementing various training programs for the development of the sales force for the optimum output in line with the market needs & opportunities
• Customer database management, direct marketing of new collection on seasonal basis
• Providing leadership, counseling and career guidance for the development and guidance of all the staff
• Other key management responsibilities include MIS reporting, forecasting, budgeting, recruitment, job descriptions and managing off all risk transactions.
• Established and optimized schedules to keep coverage and service in line with forecasted demands.
• Multiplied earnings through sales goal achievement, customer service improvements and commitment to team objectives.
• Assessed sales reports to identify and enhance sales performance, support inventory oversight and capitalize on emerging trends.