Holley’s Post

Last week we celebrated a very special day at Fortnum & Mason, the 90th birthday of our Sales Associate Stanley Grant. Stanley works on our second floor at 181 Piccadilly three days a week, and is a much loved member of the team, having worked here for 20 years and 4 months (no less). As you'll see in this picture, a number of his colleagues in the Retail team got together to surprise him with a birthday cake, and he had this to say at the celebration. "It's remarkable that the company is able to employ people of my age. Young people will still be able to be working at 75 if they wish. You could all be enjoying this kind of celebration! I haven’t yet put in my resignation. I thought I was being spirited away to be given my P45! I can’t think of a better place of work than this. It’s great to work for a family business. The love of the people here is what makes the experience. It’s a very thoughtful and loving company, and I haven’t kept going just to break records. There have been employees of 90 years in the past…so hopefully we’re all going to live longer.” What brought him to Fortnum's in the first place? "I actually came here to complain initially, as a customer. My career experience was in leather goods, so at the time I was keen to express my opinion on Fortnum's products and available stock, I said to the team that I could help and that I wanted to put it right. For the sake of England! I expected to be here 3-6 months something like that, and it really grew on me. I find it an extremely happy environment working with colleagues who I address as ladies and gentlemen (like the customers). This is a company far-sighted enough to take me on in my 70th year, but also in a position of responsibility. It also feels as if the legislation has just caught up. People have not outgrown their usefulness at the age of 65-70. They can find a niche where they are useful. I blame the company for taking me on!" Stanley has no plans to retire, but if he ever does, we asked him what he'd like to do? "The garden. And keep busy. If you want a long life, keep working. I'm a firm believer that you should always work as long as you can, if you've got the health and strength." In the meantime Stanley is going out for a birthday meal with his family, and is planning to keep enjoying playing golf and listening to classical music - having been a previous member of a Fortnum's choir (amongst other things). Happy birthday Stanley, and thanks to all of our colleagues who have recently completed long service milestones at Fortnum & Mason. #teamFortnums #thankyou #facesofFortnums #retailcareers #fortnumandmason

MAKE EVERY MOMENT MATTER. Five years ago, I moved to Cincinnati to work for Kroger Precision Marketing. After 20 years in agency media planning, I had become skeptical about the claims of media companies. So, WHY did I want to go work for a media company – and at a retailer (of all places)? 🛒 Because consumer trust is paramount to retailers. We’re here to build long-term relationships through our media experiences. 🛒 Because success is measured in real sales. Keep your fishy metrics in traditional media. Retailers want to reach real households and move incremental units. 🛒 Because new technology is embraced by retailers. Some legacy media companies won’t let go of old systems (e.g third-party cookies). But retailers are investing in the tech and people which make advertising better. The only downside: the people here are terrible. Always collaborating, inspiring, encouraging, and making me into a better person. All of their positivity stifles my grumpy disposition. 😊 Special thanks to Cara Pratt for taking a chance on me 5 years ago. She even created this collage of memories for my 5 year anniversary! And shout-out to my immediate team members who teach me something new every day (Sam Zehnder, Susan Wenner Jackson, Andre Stalling, Jaimey Dudley and Alyssa Sattler). I’m so grateful to be on this journey with amazing leaders and colleagues. #KrogerPrecisionMarketing 84.51˚ #RetailMedia

Last week, our recently promoted senior associates spent the evening toasting their success with their line managers. Congratulations to you all again, and thank you for your consistent hard work and dedication. To read more about those involved, click here: https://ow.ly/LOUI50SNcy2 #Promotions #Congratulations #LawFirm #Celebration #CareerInLaw

The world can be tough for dreamers, but chasing your dreams is one of the most meaningful things you can do—it gives life purpose and hope. Never stop dreaming. If I could go back in time, that’s the one piece of advice I’d give to my younger self. Along the way, I’ve learned that success sometimes reveals the true nature of the people around us. I’ve had friends who, instead of celebrating my achievements, let their envy show through hurtful comments or actions that made me doubt myself. Those moments were painful, but they taught me an important lesson: we deserve to surround ourselves with people who uplift and inspire us. You deserve better. You deserve kindness, support, and belief in your potential. Never let anyone convince you otherwise—because the sky truly is the limit. #BrownWeNeed2Talk #MentalHealth #Awareness #Workplace #Insight #Education

Everyone's path to success looks different and School of Business and Information Technology Purdue Global is happy to be a part of that journey! #purdueglobal #purdueglobalproud #schoolofbusiness

Paul Smith People: Meet Joe In this monthly series, we celebrate the fantastic individuals that make Paul Smith special. Each feature provides a glimpse into the lives, journeys, and experiences of our talented team. Joe has an interesting story to share about his time at Paul Smith. He joined us in Retail a while back and has since transitioned to new roles within the company, developing his skills along the way! Read below in his own words ⬇ #PaulSmith #ProjectManagement

Last week, Walmart and Sam’s Club associates from all over the world gathered here in Bentonville, AR for Associate’s Week. The spirit and energy that this annual event breathes into our collective hearts as Walmart and Sam’s Club associates cannot be overstated. It is invigorating to have so many people here in our relatively small city at the heart of Walmart, USA. It’s a richly diverse gathering, not just in terms of cultures and countries represented, but also in diversity of career journeys, life experience, educational backgrounds, and so much more. This was the first year I was able to attend the Associate Celebration that wraps up the week. I saw incredible entertainment (Lizzo, anyone??). I also heard from Paris Hilton and Robert Downy, Jr. about their products available at Walmart. I enjoyed the lighthearted antics of host Peyton Manning, hearing leaders from different parts of the company talk about our future, and seeing the unique things happening at various stores around the world. What was most impactful to me though, was the message from CEO Doug McMillon as he recognized three amazing associates for their dedication and the difference they make every day. He spoke about the impact of consistent effort towards achieving goals, the importance of celebrating wins and success, and the inspiration to be found in moving targets. I really needed that message. I’m personally coming out of the most difficult year of my professional life to date. That idea of “moving targets”, for whatever reason, really clicked and resonated with me. We have been experiencing a lot of change recently in Walmart Global Tech, some of it unprecedented for many of us. It’s been a challenge to stay optimistic and seek out success in times of uncertainty. It’s so easy to lose sight of positivity when things are happening around us that we can’t control. But there are always things we can control, even in the midst of the unknown. Through that lens, moving targets are a really positive thing - an opportunity for a different way of working, a chance to discover a spark of creativity, a moment to foster new ideas. Change can stifle us with fear, or motivate us towards evolution. The rest of this year, I will be working on the latter. Here’s to an incredible remainder of FY25 at Walmart. I look forward to what the future holds! #WMT2024

Two women – 50 years of ALDI experience! Some encounters are simply unforgettable. For example, my recent reunion with Christiane Augst, an employee at our ALDI SÜD store in Ratingen Lintorf, who celebrated her 33rd anniversary with the company in April. 🎉 Congratulations on this great achievement, dear Christiane! 👏    When I joined International IT over 17 years ago, it was primarily Christiane who trained me in our #StoreOperations with great patience and kindness. Reuniting after so many years was a real thrill – we laughed a lot, reminisced and shared anecdotes like this one: after I had (finally) gotten used to handling the electric pallet stacker, I was incredibly proud of the mountain of empty pallets I had stacked in the store’s warehouse. When the store manager saw how high I had stacked them, he said with a grin: “Mrs Rückle, what kind of truck do you think this stack will fit on?” Another lesson learned!    I always look back on my time at the store with gratitude and humility. I consider myself very fortunate that, despite my lack of experience, Christiane and the other colleagues accepted me as one of their own and let me perform all store operations tasks, including cashiering. My reunion with her reminded me of the following:    💡 For Christiane, it was especially important to not only explain the “what” and the “how” to me, but also the “why”. She intuitively applies what Simon Sinek describes in his book “Start with why”. Not only did this principle make my in-store training so special and memorable, but #PurposefulLeadership is also a key enabler for #selfempowered teams to achieve ambitious goals and remarkable results.    💡 Christine shared some examples of how #IT has changed many processes over time. She reminded me how much responsibility we have when designing IT solutions due to their impact on #CustomerExperience and our employees’ workplace. Actively gathering and evaluating feedback from customers and users should therefore always be an integral part of our work.    This goes out to Christiane and all store employees: Thank you! 🙏 I appreciate your commitment and am grateful that you, and many other colleagues, have been serving our customers for so many years. Our roles at ALDI SOUTH are quite different, but we all have one thing in common: we exist for our customers!    What are you doing to foster closer ties with the business?

The death knell of DEI program? 🤔 Walmart, world’s biggest retailer and the US’s largest employer is rolling back its DEI efforts, joining the ranks of a growing list of MNCs that have done the same. This is probably the most fatal blow to DEI as Walmart has been see as a leader and benchmark that’s been lighting the way for many corporate DEI initiatives. There seems to be a trend of MNCs disinvesting in DEI after realizing it’s a waste of time and resources. Instead of promoting diversity and equity, the program oftens exacerbates social division. I reckon it is counterproductive when the starting points of many business decisions are race and color, and it certainly doesn’t help when we are reminded daily by these DEI programs of our differences instead of our similarities and common humanity. Are you or your company still investing in DEI program? What do you make of the DEI situation now? #DEI #Walmart #Diversity #Equity #Singapore #Recruitment

🍂 Are You Aware of the Power of Gratitude? As we kick off the week, let’s focus on gratitude—a mindset that strengthens relationships, fuels growth, and transforms challenges into opportunities. At Becker Logistics, we are especially thankful for our incredible employees. Their dedication, expertise, and commitment to excellence are the backbone of our success. From managing complex shipments to ensuring top-tier customer service, our team’s hard work inspires us every day and keeps us moving forward. Gratitude keeps us grounded and motivated. It helps us recognize the small wins and build a stronger foundation for the future. Today, we encourage you to pause and reflect: What are you most thankful for this week? 💬 Share your thoughts in the comments below! #MotivationalMonday #BeckerLogistics #WeAreLogistics #Thankful #Logistics