David Benn Email & Phone Number

I’m working with the wholesale implementation field team converting McColl sites to trade as Morrison’s Daily stores and delivering industry leading stores. In April when all the Mcolls stores will be transformed I will have personally been involved in converted 111 Mcolls stores to trade as Morrisons Daily’s. Looking forward to the next chapter of my development/involvement with this fast evolving area of the business.Supporting converted stores to maximise sales and store offer and developing the store teams while supporting converted shops when we have down time throughout key trading times with retrofit projects and just general support.

Head Office Hilmore House

I was responsible for all the Household category’s also the Checkouts,Kiosk,Self Scan and Single Confectionery from a merchandising perspective we have just updated all the checkout and self scan equipment to enable the use of SRP and maximise the offer within these areas.

Hilmore House Bradford

Non-edible Groceries include pet and baby departments, health and beauty, pharmacy, batteries, light bulbs, and cleaning products. Home & Leisure area also included clothing department (Nutmeg).Currently specialising in working capital and loss prevention.Main duties include leading team that produces store layouts, supporting format layout planning (Fresh format, Nutmeg expansion, young families projects), ordering positive statements (making sure that equipment is correct and optimum amounts are ordered), working with procurement teams to optimise costs and producing efficiency and compliance store briefs/training manuals. Due to working with both H&L and non-edibles and with the SKU reduction programme, I have been able to utilise the no longer needed H&L space to capitalise on sales in my non-edibles areas. Continual store contact in senior advisor role due to extensive knowledge of all company areas gained from length of service.Looked after petrol stations, supported new acquisitions and championed range and format. I was the Deputy Chief fire officer for Hilmore House duties included evac chair training.

Responsible for leading a team and the development of equipment, policy & procedure.Worked with the buying and commercial teams towards optimum profit & loss.Developed refrigeration alongside Barkers (now EPTA), designing equipment that utilised existing technology in a new innovative way, allowing a cost saving of up to £15,000 per single installation. Supported produce area managers and co-wrote a produce training manual due to depth of experience of other areas, not only limited to current role. The linked videos are from when I was part of an intelligent labour project including shelf-ready packaging in 2010. I independently realised we also needed to concentrate on the fact that we wasted time in the warehouse too and ultimately helped a team to develop the outlined ways of saving labour when receiving and transporting goods around stores which also supported the main brief of reducing shelf stacking time. At the time this was far advanced compared to other alternatives.

Grocery TrainerHome & Leisure TrainerRole including development of training materials, writing several training manuals as well as designing best practice policies and procedures for the company, supporting the opening of new stores and training new store management teams as well as supporting the development of existing ones.Developed and managed a team of regional trainers ('teaching' stores).

5 Different Stores

Managing 400+ staff including 33 managers and supporting general managers.

Morrison's Street area was new concept at the time.Worked on developing production sheets, management accounts, and theatre/promotion.

Otley & Harrogate

Responsibilities also including training other managers in stock control and warehouse disciplines.

Morrison's head hunted me to return to the company, I agreed due to increased salary.Lead whole H&L department including 3 supervisors. Gave assistance to additional 'problem stores' (involving key holding duties) whenever required.H&L at the time also incorporated audio and visual items, white goods, gardening products, lighting and clothing. For more expensive goods this also involved responsibilities for credit agreements.

Responsibilities including managing the retail/buying budget and constantly maintaining a minimum of 2.1% profit.Biggest achievement was to implement a new buying policy where I made links with suppliers and then convinced other Howarth managers to use the same suppliers, therefore making company purchases instead of individual store ordering systems; this lead to profit increases and company wide savings.

Controlled stock of branded products coming in to the warehouse.Main duties included controlling stock and order cards optimising quantities available to night shift, liaised with brand reps to ensure correct product availability on a weekly basis, considered predicted sales increases and acted accordingly, priced stock in advance for the night shift, managed damaged in conjunction with brand reps, and preempted price fluctuations to take advantage wherever possible.