Adrian Nicholls, manager, Blakemore depot, Lye
When The Grocer caught up with Adrian Nicholls it was his first day in charge at the Lye depot following Andy Dennis’s departure for Blakemore’s Walsall depot.
Adrian said his appointment was a temporary move, but he felt he was already settling in because he had worked at the depot seven years ago as assistant manager. Even in the few hours he had been in the post he had met customers he knew from last time round there.
Nicholls has worked for Blakemore for 18 of his 22-year working life - the other four years were with Morrisons - and for a few months before when he was a student and took a part-time job at the Wolverhampton depot.
After completing his exams he was offered a
full-time job on the shop floor which he took intending it to be a stop-gap until he decided what he wanted to do. But he became hooked on wholesale and, after a series of moves, he became assistant manager of the Lye depot and then took the same role at the bigger Walsall depot. After a spell with Morrisons, he was tempted back to Blakemore and soon took over as general manager of the Wolverhampton depot. Most recently he oversaw the closure of that depot as the company moved into new expanded premises in the town.
Nicholls says what he likes best about wholesaling is the rapport with the customer. “I’ve always been a people person. I enjoy the face-to-face bit of the job,” he explains.
“When I worked for a multiple I could see some customers every day but I wouldn’t have a clue who they were or how to make things better for them.
“Working for Blakemore I get to know everyone who comes through the door. It’s not the company policy, it’s the culture.”
He believes that stems from its founder Frank Blakemore, father of current chairman Peter Blakemore. “Frank was always on the shopfloor and knew all the customers and staff. The company has grown a lot since then, but it is still family-owned and has managed to retain that customer-friendly nature.”
When The Grocer caught up with Adrian Nicholls it was his first day in charge at the Lye depot following Andy Dennis’s departure for Blakemore’s Walsall depot.
Adrian said his appointment was a temporary move, but he felt he was already settling in because he had worked at the depot seven years ago as assistant manager. Even in the few hours he had been in the post he had met customers he knew from last time round there.
Nicholls has worked for Blakemore for 18 of his 22-year working life - the other four years were with Morrisons - and for a few months before when he was a student and took a part-time job at the Wolverhampton depot.
After completing his exams he was offered a
full-time job on the shop floor which he took intending it to be a stop-gap until he decided what he wanted to do. But he became hooked on wholesale and, after a series of moves, he became assistant manager of the Lye depot and then took the same role at the bigger Walsall depot. After a spell with Morrisons, he was tempted back to Blakemore and soon took over as general manager of the Wolverhampton depot. Most recently he oversaw the closure of that depot as the company moved into new expanded premises in the town.
Nicholls says what he likes best about wholesaling is the rapport with the customer. “I’ve always been a people person. I enjoy the face-to-face bit of the job,” he explains.
“When I worked for a multiple I could see some customers every day but I wouldn’t have a clue who they were or how to make things better for them.
“Working for Blakemore I get to know everyone who comes through the door. It’s not the company policy, it’s the culture.”
He believes that stems from its founder Frank Blakemore, father of current chairman Peter Blakemore. “Frank was always on the shopfloor and knew all the customers and staff. The company has grown a lot since then, but it is still family-owned and has managed to retain that customer-friendly nature.”
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