Alexander Edwards Email & Phone Number

Woodstock And Shipston On Stour

Established in 2012, The Cotswold Tailor is an award winning retail business with shops in the popular Cotswold towns of Woodstock and Shipston-On-Stour. The company continues to go from strength to strength with a number of exciting developments in the pipeline. I continue to focus on selling products of high quality and where possible manufactured in the UK. The majority of our products are own label products, manufactured to our strict quality control expectations, complimented by a small selection of carefully picked luxury brands.

I developed Cotswold Silver Service to expand the Aptus Suits brand into a new market. Cotswold Silver Service (CSS) uses our existing client network allowing us to grow both companies simultaneously. CSS provides Waitering staff and catering to business events, weddings, dinner parties, product launches, conferences and VIP parties. All staff have been trained at Ditchley Park by an Ex Royal Butler ensuring we can offer the highest levels of service.

Originally developed as a concept whilst at University, Aptus Suits is now entering phase two of its growth strategy. Aptus Suits can be split into two broad business ranges: its bespoke tailoring service and the new hand made Cotswold Aptus Accessories Range. As a partner and founder of Aptus Suits, I manage much of the day to day running of the business. However my main focus is the brand development through the continual implementation and progression of our marketing and PR offerings. I also have a strong input into our sales and growth strategy, steering the business into new market opportunities and developing our position in existing markets to boost sales.

The Aldi Area manager graduate scheme is well regarded as one of the best graduate jobs available (Times Top 100). Having fought off competition from tens of thousands of applicants in the summer of 2010 I embarked on this much talked about scheme. Within 12 weeks of training in the Oxford store, I was handed the keys to my very own store in Reading for the Christmas period. Whilst managing the Reading store during December and January my store assistants and I were able to successfully: 1: increase sales by 20% on the previous year2: Increase average spend by £2.40 a customer on the previous year3: decrease inventory losses from 0.89% of sales to 0.4% The role further developed my strong people management skills and offered me good exposure into retail management. Aldi are profitable because their productivity levels per an employee are far higher than their competitors. I would often manage an entire store with just 3 members of staff. As a result therefore, I have become very organised and thrive working in high pressure environments. In 2011 I decided to leave Aldi. Although beneficial as a tool and introduction into the world of retail management, the role of Area Manager failed to utilise my strongest personality traits. Having been praised by the CEO for my ability to see the bigger picture, the role transpired to be 'tick box', rather than an entrepreneurial strategic business development role as expressed during the interview.

Bsc, Business

A Levels, Economics, Politics, Geography, Sociology