Voisins Department Store Ltd

FASCINATING FACTS AND HISTORY

Voisin & Company was founded by Francis Voisin on 5 April 1837 as a haberdashery shop at 26 King Street. The company expanded throughout the nineteenth century opening a men’s outfitters in 1838 and a furniture department in New Street in 1868.

Showing his entrepreneurial skills, Francis Voisin formed a bank to facilitate his trading in different currencies. This also enabled him to offer credit facilities to his customers.

In those early years, the demand for jobs at Voisin & Co was so great that there was a waiting list. Successful candidates then underwent a 3 year apprenticeship, learning firstly how to wrap a parcel and then studying the stock of each department before being allowed to serve any customers.

During the Second World War, the occupying forces stored their uniforms in a warehouse in New Street which now houses Voisins’ car park. Towards the end of the Occupation, Voisins was only open on Saturdays selling secondhand goods.

By 1972, Voisins had 36 departments and 270 staff. In the same year, Voisins opened a branch in St Malo.

In 1992, current owner Francis Gerald Voisin purchased the business from his father.

Since then, the shop has beenmodernised and a number of brands have moved in, including The White Company, River Island, MAC, Jo Malone London and Superdry.

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VOISINS’ 5 VALUES

Demonstrating our commitment to engaging our staff and delivering the highest standards of customer service, in 2011 we introduced our Sales and Service Culture Programme.

All our staff were involved in choosing the 5 values which best describe Voisins and training sessions have now been developed based on the following values.

Throughout your time on the graduate programme, there will be a strong focus on these values, and you will also have the opportunity to contribute to the future development of Voisins’ Values.

Exceptional Service

Consistency Expertise

Fashion Passion

VOISINS RETAIL ACADEMY: AN OVERVIEW

The Academy has been designed to ensure that you become an ambassador for the Voisins brand.

This is key to differentiating Voisins from other highstreet and online retailers. To achieve this, the Programme will:

• Deliver a clear induction programme, setting out the requirements for each level of the course;

• Consistently assess your understanding and skills learnt so that you can move on to the next level of the Programme;

• Ensure that consistent standards are achieved and upheld;• Ensure that you are prepared for promotion before you are

promoted;• Provide training in visual, verbal and non-visual

communication in line with Voisins’ strategy;• Empower you with self-confidence and self-belief;• Motivate and inspire you;• Show you the variety of roles and responsibilities within

retail;• Excite you by a career in retail;• Give you the opportunity to attend external courses

including the acclaimed Oxford Summer School run by the British Independent Retailers’ Association

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM EACH YEAR OF THE ACADEMY

Year 1: Professional/Expert Sales Advisor

SKILL DEVELOPMENT AREASVoisins: our values, culture, strategy, business and work standards

The Basics: till operation, company rules, understanding why

Selling: approaching customers, open-ended questions, add-on sales, closing the sale

Customer Service: body language, additional advice, the extra mile

Communication: written and verbal

Merchandising

Product knowledge

IT: Word and Excel

By the end of the year, you will be a brand ambassador, portraying Voisins’ standards and providing exceptional customer service and

selling skills

Year 2: Supervisor/Team Leader

SKILL DEVELOPMENT AREASPeople: team-building, supervision, delegation, performance analysis,

motivation, development, manpower planning, appraisals

Leadership

Trainer: presentation skills, getting the message across

Trading analysis: sales, margin, space use, stockturn, range sell through, staff costs ratio

Retail merchandise layout

Advanced communication

Event organisation

Marketing overview

IT: Word, Excel and Powerpoint

Your potential role within Voisins during year 2 is a supervisor/deputy manager

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13KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM EACH YEAR OF THE ACADEMY

Year 3: Counter/Concession Manager

SKILL DEVELOPMENT AREASBusiness development

Finance

Trading budgets: sales, stock, margin, open to buy, staff

Range planning: merchandise, size, space, stock investment

HR: employment law, conduct appraisals, disciplinary procedures

Marketing and event organisation

Entrepreneurial: commercial awareness, performance improvement

Advanced IT: Word, Excel, Swan (Voisins internal management system)

Your potential role within Voisins at the end of year 3 is a counter/concession manager

Year 4 : Buyer

SKILL DEVELOPMENT AREASLeadership: inspire and motivate

Profit and loss accounts

Commercial awareness

Buying: space planning, OTB allocation and management, negotiating skills, order preparation, pricing, identifying new brands, monitoring

trends, promotional activity, supplier activity

Stock management: aged stock analysis, seasonal variances

Strategic range development

Advanced marketing

Law

Your potential role within Voisins at the end of year 4 is a buyer

*Please note that each year will give you the skills with which to perform the potential roles stated. Actual vacancies at the end of each year cannot be guaranteed.

MEET THE MANAGEMENT TEAM

Alison Le VescontePersonnel

John EllisStore Manager

Emily MooreMarketing

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Chris ByrneAdministration

Paul NolanTraining/Operations

David ElliottBusiness Development

Gerald VoisinChairman

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WHY DO OUR STAFF LOVE WORKING AT VOISINS?

This position has given me first-hand experience of a buyer’s role. As a trainee buyer, I have been on several buying trips, helped with stock decisions and launched a new brand in Voisins.

Liz Murphy, Trainee Buyer

Fay Jacques, Counter Manager, Clarins

I am very excited to have grown my role to manager of a flagship Clarins counter. I receive regular Voisins and off-island Clarins training, enabling me to organise and host regular VIP events.

Managing a team of 18 staff, working for one of the fastest-growing fashion brands, brings fresh challenges and excitement every day.

Lorie Rault, Concession Manager, River Island

HOW CAN I JOIN THE ACADEMY?

If you are a graduate or school leaver aged between 18 and 22 and would like to embark on a career in retail, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

To win an exclusive place on the Voisins Retail Academy, you must have a positive ‘can do’ attitude, strong motivation and a passion for retail, management and success.

You must want to learn and develop new skills while always maintaining the highest standards of etiquette.

You must be committed to a career in retail and be able to work weekends, shift patterns and bank holidays.

To apply for a place on the Academy, please send your CV, together with a letter outlining why Voisins should choose you, to Alison Le Vesconte at Voisins Department Store Ltd, e-mail alison.levesconte@voisins.com

A WARM WELCOME AWAITS YOU

www.voisins.com