ARU VASHISHTHA
Mississauga,ON
Summary
Achieved unparallel success in various roles, consistently exceeding target and fostering customer-centric cultures. Highly accomplished general manager with 20+ years of diverse, consistently successful experience in retail management, property management, food service, restaurant management, and promotional products. Achieved tremendous results in each role, consistently developing talented, dedicated, customer-focused teams and driving sales, profit, and customer satisfaction to greater heights. Areas of expertise include: Sales management, including sales forecasting, marketing, promotions, sales analysis, customer service, customer loyalty, conflict resolution, community engagement, business development, and more. Operations management, including planning, P&L management, budget management, finance, banking, scheduling, payroll/labour control, process development, compliance, administration, and reporting. Inventory management, including supply chain, logistics, inventory processing, pricing, distribution, loss prevention, shrink control, inventory reconciliation, merchandising, and vendor relations. People management, including recruiting, staffing, onboarding, training, succession planning, leadership development, employee recognition, retention, performance management, and culture development.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Front Store Manager
NEIGHBOURLY PHARMACY (IDA)
06.2021 - Current
- Recruited by regional director to manage 5,000 square foot pharmacy/drugstore (2 floors) that serves as critical supplier of retail goods, medicine, and healthcare products for Inuvik and numerous remote communities in Northwest Territories
- Accountable for every aspect of business including retail operations, pharmacy operations, regulatory compliance, sales & profit results, HR, staffing, community relations, and much more
- Took over a store that was struggling with weak inventory management, excessive stock, and high shrink
- Quickly identified numerous opportunities for improvement and retrained team
- Exceeded all expectations – led store to 1st in entire region (25 stores) for profit performance
- Awarded performance bonus each year in recognition of exceptional results
- Surpassed all key performance targets – exceeded sales forecast by $50k first year
- Increased annual sales volume by 10% to current $5.4M – improved from 8th to 3rd in region
- Coached team to promote customer loyalty program – increased signups by 29% first year
- Met all controllable expense budgets and increased profit contribution by 7%
- Collaborated with corporate partners to optimize product assortment – cut inventory costs by $50K
- Reduced inventory shrink from 4% to just 0.5% (budget: 3%) – improved from 9th to 1st in region
- Honored with award for recording lowest shrink in entire region
- Hand-picked to train several other managers on best practices for loss prevention and shrink control
- Created a very successful ship-from-store program to support underserved communities
- Hired, onboarded, and trained approximately 30 new team members over 2 years.
Food Service Manager
THE NORTHWEST COMPANY
08.2018 - 07.2021
- Oversaw every aspect of food services in the big-box North Mart superstore in Inuvik, including produce, GM, and their bakery department
- Accountable for operations, customer satisfaction, quality control, inventory, sales & profit results, food waste, HR, staffing, training, payroll, and much more, while also providing comprehensive support to the store manager in all other areas of store leadership
- Took over a department that was struggling with low sales, poor structure, and very little accountability
- Retrained the team, built a new culture, and instituted higher standards in all areas
- Drove the department to top 5 in the entire company (150 stores) on overall results scorecard
- Awarded performance bonus every year in recognition of extraordinary results
- Created new upselling strategies and promotional concepts to drive sales
- Exceeded all expectations – increased annual sales volume from $2M to $2.4M
- Surpassed sales target by an average of 4% each year and profit budget by 4-5% each year
- Implemented strict waste/shrink controls – limited shrink to just 1.5% (below budget)
- Maintained a strong culture with high level of communication, accountability, and staff recognition
- Hired, and trained 16 new cooks and cashiers over 3 years
- Developed a dedicated and highly motivated team – maintained a high level of employee retention.
Assistant Regional Property Manager
NORTHVIEW REIT
09.2011 - 08.2018
- Advanced quickly through ranks with this property management company – promoted from leasing agent up to property administrator
- Oversaw 365 residential units with full accountability for operations, vacancy rates, eviction notices, office management, accounts receivable, accounts payable, capital improvement projects, staffing, budgets, reporting, administration, and much more
- Partnered with regional property manager to maximize revenue and reduce expenses
- Created annual operating budgets and identified opportunities for revenue growth and cost reductions
- Developed and executed new marketing/advertising campaigns and monitored results
- Utilized Yardi real estate system to track and analyze rental rates, vacancies, and lease renewals
- Consistently exceeded corporate expectations for vacancies and accounts receivable
- Oversaw timely resolution of resident and vendor complaints
- Collaborated with facility management team on several long-term capital improvement projects
- Provided direct leadership, training, and support to a team of 15
- Hired and trained approximately 10 employees – maintained a very low turnover rate
- Worked closely with human resources department to enhance employee experience.
Assistant Store Manager
Rexall
09.2009 - 08.2011
- Maintained Store Standards to optimize customer experience, drive customer traffic, and positively impact store profitability
- Worked with Team to ensure Store Standards are in effect 100% of time, including backroom
- Managed labor scheduling and leverages Work Force Management (WFM) to maximize labor productivity
- Complied with Human Resources Standards
- Analyzed financial reports, identified trends, and addressed discrepancies between planned and actual through effective utilization of FSM Monitoring Report
- Met period, quarterly and annual targets
- Set individual goals for departments to motivate employees and ensures goals are met
- Developed and executes strategies to improve business efficiency at store
- Conducted probationary reviews for new hires and annual staff performance reviews
- Managed staff performance through ongoing coaching, action planning, and follow-up
- Applied knowledge of Retail KPIs to make commercial decisions that drive achievement of established sales targets
- Review store P&L with Store Manager and District Manager to reduce costs and identify efficiencies
- Implemented new customer service protocols resulting in 15% improvement in customer satisfaction ratings
- Led a team of 15 store colleagues, providing guidance, coaching, and performance evaluations
- Managed inventory levels and optimized product placement resulting in a 10% reduction in stock loss
- Provides training and development of team members on assigned shifts by monitoring goals and providing feedback.
Education
Diploma in Business Management - Buisiness Administration
Thompson Rivers University
Vancouver04.2023
Skills
- Sales management
- Operations management
- Inventory management
- People management
- Communication
- Time Management
- Teamwork
- Problem Solving
- Leadership
Languages
English
Hindi
Timeline
Front Store Manager
NEIGHBOURLY PHARMACY (IDA)
06.2021 - Current
Food Service Manager
THE NORTHWEST COMPANY
08.2018 - 07.2021
Assistant Regional Property Manager
NORTHVIEW REIT
09.2011 - 08.2018
Assistant Store Manager
Rexall
09.2009 - 08.2011
Diploma in Business Management - Buisiness Administration
Thompson Rivers University
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