Ben Fry has over 20 years of experience in retail management roles with Woolworths and Safeway in Victoria, Australia. He is currently the Produce Manager at Woolworths in Laurimar and Greensborough, where he is responsible for meeting sales targets and managing a team of eight employees. Prior to this role, he held several management positions including Duty Manager, Night Fill Manager, and Assistant Longlife Manager.
1. 13 Lythrum St, Doreen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia H: (03) 9717 8888 M: 0458 429 321 E: ben.fry.17@hotmail.com
Ben Fry
Experience 2013 – Current Woolworths (Laurimar and Greensborough, VIC)
Produce Manager
Responsible for meeting sales, inventory, waste reduction and wage targets for the
Fresh Produce department.
Key accountabilities:
Full operational accountability for the department including promotional planning, stock
management, merchandising and new product promotion, and food safety practices.
Provide customer service and build and maintain relationships with store
management and other produce managers within the area group.
Manage team of eight Produce Assistants, including administration of weekly rosters,
coaching and development, and operational training.
Key achievements:
Achieved 2014 sales and profit targets by improving stock presentation and
prioritising high profit lines relevant to local demographics.
Increased sales over 2014 winter ‘soup season’ by initiating cross promotional
displays with grocery lines – initiative rolled out to rest of area group.
Achieved 2014 waste reduction target by implementing improved inventory
management and quality improvement programs, including relationship building and
effective communication with the State Produce Buyer.
Achieved 2014 wage reduction target by improving full time / part time staff utilisaton
on weekends and cross training staff across departments.
2004 – 2013 Woolworths (St. Helena, Plenty Valley, Templestowe & Laurimar, VIC)
Duty Manager
Responsible for operational evening duty management of store.
Key accountabilities:
Managed evening duty staff as well as food and work safety compliance.
Dealt with customer complaints, stock ordering and maintenance along with the
everyday evening operational procedures.
Managed team to implement weekly end display builds.
Area group trainer for new duty managers.
Key achievements:
Decreased night roster wage costs by reviewing staff requirements, job tasks and
performance management needs.
Implemented staff cross-department training program to reduce labour costs and
enable improved customer service in peek periods.
Improved performance of weekly promotions by collaborating with supplier reps to
translate shopper insights into sales maximising end displays.
Trained 10 new duty managers from other stores in the area group.
Merchandised all departments for three new store openings including planograms
and end displays.
Experience
(Cont.)
2002 - 2004 Safeway (St.Helena, VIC)
Night Fill Manager
Responsible for management of night fill team.
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2. 13 Lythrum St, Doreen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia H: (03) 9717 8888 M: 0458 429 321 E: ben.fry.17@hotmail.com
Key accountabilities:
Managed store replenishment including ordering stock, stock maintenance,
accepting deliveries, splitting loads and working stock.
Led team of 15 night fillers including rostering and work safety compliance.
Key achievements:
Increased case rate by implementing a task specialisation approach to reduce time
spent on task duplication.
Improved individual team member performance by setting individual targets on key
tasks, monitoring and performance managing where necessary.
Merchandised all departments for one new store opening including planograms and
end displays.
2001 – 2002 Safeway (St.Helena, VIC)
Assistant Longlife Manager
Duties included assisting the manager in supervising staff, work safety, ordering
stock, stock maintenance, accepting deliveries, splitting loads and working stock.
1996 - 2001 Safeway (St. Helena and Eltham, VIC)
Grocery Assistant
Duties included trolley collection, working and maintaining stock on shelves and
customer service.
1996 - 1999 Safeway (Eltham, VIC)
Grocery Assistant
Duties included trolley collection, working and maintaining stock on shelves and
customer service.
Education 2014 Woolworths RTO
Completed Certificate III in Retail Operations
1995 - 2000 Diamond Valley College
Completed VCE
Additional Qualifications
First Aid
5 Day Occupational Health and safety
Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA)
Fire warden
Food safety
Professional
Skills
Ability to understand and implement customer requirements
Excellent organizational and management skills including prioritisation / delegation
Exceptional customer service skills
Strong problem solving and creative skills
Ability to communicate at all levels
Logical and a very quick learner
Well presented and approachable
Referees Available on request
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