Page 29 - Sphere No.10 (Dec 2003)

S PHERE
27
“R etail business is a people business.” This is the
mantra upon which the A.S.Watson shopping expe-
rience is built.
And one of the primary challenges for a multinational company
with ambitious growth plans is to have key management and staff
in position with the flexibility to handle every new twist and turn.
“Of course, our retail concept is extremely important, but we
would be lost without qualified, motivated peo-
ple in the stores, in the distribution centres and
in the offices,” says Dick Siebrand, CEO of
Health & Beauty Continental Europe.
The company employs more than 55,000
people around the world, from shop-front
staff to logistics and IT experts, pharmacists
and druggists as well as top-class managers
(many of whom have worked their way up
from the shop floor).
Staff training is an important investment,
whether it be at store level — from ordering and shelf filling to
product knowledge and customer advice — or in the area of head
office support in roles such as accounting, tax, marketing and
advertising.
ASW plays an important education role within communities
where it operates, keeping its customers informed about public
health, beauty and related matters.
When customers walk into an ASW store, they get much more
than a great range of products at competitive prices; they also
receive exceptional service from staff who know what they are
talking about.
The recently launched A.S. Watson School in Continental
Europe gives specialised training at three locations in the
Netherlands and one in Belgium. Candidate sales employees and
store managers are instructed on day-to-day store practices
with the aim that many of them will become the store managers
of the future.
Within stores, customers can not only pur-
chase products but also receive advice and
information on health & beauty.
At ICI PARIS XL perfume stores in
Belgium, staff undergo extensive training on
skin care, fragrances and colours.
In countries where legislation permits the
operation of in-store pharmacies — chiefly in
Asia, the UK and the Netherlands — certified
druggists are on hand to advise consumers
on over-the-counter medicines.
In Hong Kong,WatsonsYour Personal Store has always active-
ly promoted public health education. It participates in many in-
store initiatives, distributing information designed to teach the
community about nutrition, exercise and the benefits of healthy
living. In that sense, ASW positions itself not only as a retail
specialist but as a partner in improving the health of society at
large, offering personalised advice on everything from beauty
counselling to baby care.
Airport retail specialist Nuance-Watson is a joint venture between A.S.Watson and Swiss company The Nuance Group. Its branded stores offer cos-
metics, label products, electronics and general merchandise to travellers passing through Hong Kong and Singapore international airports. Beginning in Hong
Kong in 1998 and expanding to Singapore in 2001, the chain opened its 45th store at Singapore’s Terminal 2 in October 2003.
MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
US$8 billion turnover in 2002 …