This weekend’s heartbreak for the England Women’s Football team has undoubtedly been felt by everyone across the nation, with this being the first time the Lionesses have reached the final of the tournament.
Even though nothing was technically brought home this weekend, we at C-Talk still believe that there’s much to be learnt from this that can benefit the female retailers near and dear to us, as well as show our appreciation for the women in our sector and all that they contribute.
Women in convenience retail play a crucial role in enhancing customer experiences; from the littlest thing, such as knowing exactly what to stock from the female perspective to creating deeper bonds with other women in the local community, the impact runs very deep regardless of how benign.
Women also tend to bring a unique touch to the shopping experience, as well as empathy and strong communication skills to the workplace; traits that are essential in providing excellent customer service to one’s local community. A keen understanding of customer preferences is always ideal in terms of running a shop, after all.
These are also crucial traits to have in terms of working in a family business, which our sector is notorious for; mothers that own the store, daughters that work in it, daughters that may be thinking of taking it over one day.
There is a blend of nurturing qualities and a keen eye for detail that most women naturally have, making decision making and problem solving much easier to do; all of this combined and put together creates a harmonious work environment, one that adds both depth and balance to an independent business.
Much like the Lionesses (or women in football in general), convenience retail allows for women to showcase their passion and interests in a sector that they love/are interested in.
It promotes gender equality, empowers women, and can even inspire future female retailers to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, having the comfort of knowing that they can do so, as others have done before them.
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With the help of organizations such as Women in Wholesale and the Association of Convenience Stores, women’s unity in our sector has never been easier. Groups such as the ‘Women’s Independent Retailer Network’ have been created to provide female retailers with the opportunity to connect with one another, sharing experiences and varying perspectives of business in convenience retail.
Our sector provides a platform for female retailers to shine; that 70% of convenience workers being women is no joke! We’re an inclusive community that always strives to do better, learn more, work even harder.
Breaking down gender stereotypes is important, but getting rid of the notion altogether is even better. Luckily, our sector is quite diverse, and it provides a great level playing field for female retailers to share their knowledge and be recognized for their business- yet another great thing for our community as a whole.
So even though this year’s World Cup wasn’t ours for the taking, it’s important that the effort, hard work and determination of the Lionesses doesn’t go unnoticed; the exact same thing could also be said for all of the female retailers that you know!
