Local residents no doubt know Coles Lindfield well. Amidst rapid change and development across the North Shore, Coles at Lindfield has remained a constant sight to those passing through on the Pacific Highway. Sydney Observer’s Alex Dalland sat down with Store Manager Trish Colley to explore what goes into running a successful store and how to survive the lead-up to Christmas.
So tell us about an average day in the life of a Coles Store Manager?
“That’s quite a hard question to answer! Even though there’s a lot of daily routines, there’s a lot of things that pop up and change! They can be long days, generally I probably get to work around 8 – walk the shop, make sure it’s neat and tidy, greet the team, look at the results from the previous day and make sure that I’m happy, or I set up a plan for where we need to focus for that day. I do some tours, which is about coaching and looking at opportunities for improvement. Then we have a mid-morning huddle, a get together where we talk about the results and what’s important for that day. Then the rest of the day can sometimes be done before you even know it, and it’s 7pm and you’re walking out! It’s hard to say, it just depends on what’s happened and what the focus for that day is and what needs to be done. If anyone’s sick you might need to fill in, it changes around all the time.”
With Christmas well on its way everyone at Coles must be very busy! What are some new and interesting trends for Christmas that you and the team have seen recently?
“Last month we attended our bi-yearly meeting and got to see some of the new and interesting things coming out this year! One change is that they have reduced the range and got rid of what just didn’t sell last year. They’re doing a lot more products in bulk, a lot more vegetables, and pre-made meals, so it’s easier for people to just come in and get everything in one go. A lot of the Christmas stock is still the same as what we’ve always had, because it obviously sells and people like it.”
While everyone else is settling down and taking time off over Christmas and the New Year it is no doubt one of your busiest times! How do you cope with this and still manage to spend time with family and friends?
“To be honest, I don’t spend time with my family at Christmas anymore. That decision was made a while ago. I’m not from Sydney, my family are in Bathurst, so it’s not easy for me to get out there on Christmas Day…What I do is I have Christmas a couple of weeks beforehand. I have a long weekend and go home to Bathurst and see everybody. A lot of my friends also either live out of Sydney or work in retail, so they have the same issues that I have. So generally, we try to catch up somewhere on Boxing Day, have a few beers and relax if we’re not called out. Christmas is important for a lot of people, but, working in retail, I’m exhausted and all I want is to do nothing! But I’ve been with Coles for a long time, so I’m used to it.”
How long have you been at Coles Lindfield? And what major changes have you seen around the suburb in your time here?
“I’ve been at Coles Lindfield since March last year, so around 18 or 19 months. We’ve made quite a few changes in the store here since then. In terms of the suburb, I’ve seen a lot of new buildings [being developed] but I usually just go straight down the Pacific Highway or back home, so I couldn’t say for sure! But when you look around, you always see new buildings and new developments.”
What are your passions outside of work?
“I don’t really play sports any more, but I love watching sport and spending time with my friends. It’s either full on, or I like to do nothing. A lot of my holidays are trips overseas, where I can get away and not be contacted by phone or by e-mail, but just week-to-week and day-to-day, I like reading books or just watching something on TV that you don’t have to think about.”
Favourite place to eat in the North Shore?
“I like lots of places, [my housemate and I] order quite regularly on Menulog and we order from Top Speed Thai in Willoughby quite often, and we really like that! We both work as Store Managers in supermarkets, so when you get home at 9 o’clock the last thing you feel like doing is cooking. I’ll give anything a go, but I don’t tend to go out – once I’m home, I just stay home. I do eat out, but I don’t really have a favourite place. I just like to change things around.”
Best place to grab a coffee?
“Nowhere! I absolutely hate coffee, and can’t even stand the smell of it! I don’t drink tea or coffee, so I seem a bit unusual to a lot of people, but by about 11 o’clock I’m craving a Coke! I’ve got to have that caffeine hit, but I’m not a coffee person. So in terms of coffee I’m not the best person to ask.”
What do you think is Lindfield’s best kept secret?
“Maybe it’s just the friendly nature of everybody that’s here. You’ve got quite a mix of ages, lifestyles and backgrounds, but everyone is friendly and easygoing no matter who they are. So I think it’s probably just the people.”
