This week we're going behind the barn doors to met Sarah, our Retail Operations Manager. Sarah joined us back in June 2023, so we checked in to see how she's doing, and take a peek at what her role looks like behind the scenes.

You've been with us for a few months now. What motivated you to apply for a role at Piglet in Bed?

Piglet sounded like an exciting brand to work for, at the very start of their retail journey. I felt like my experience could play a pivotal role in this journey, I connected with the values of the brand and also thought the product was beautiful.

Be honest... what were your first impressions in the hiring process?

I had been told about the opportunity from a friend, and applied via the careers page in the hope I would hear something - and I did! Jess got in touch with me and within a few weeks I was having my first interview. From that point onwards it was super relaxed, warm and welcoming, informal but I liked that.

Tell us about your career path - how did you find yourself in this role?

At the age of 18 I left college not knowing what I wanted to do, and found myself working full time as a sales assistant for a ladies fashion brand, I loved the interaction with customers and enjoyed being part of a team so pretty soon I decided to stick with it and see where it would take me. For several years I worked my way up to a store manager role and eventually landed a job as a regional manager at Mint Velvet. After 7 years in this role (and 2 children!) I thought it was time for a change, and made the move to Piglet in Bed in June 2023.

What's been your career highlight?

There has been many over the years, but getting the job at PiB was pretty special for me, I applied for the role not long after having my 2nd child, bleary-eyed from a lack of sleep and feeling totally overwhelmed with the prospect of an interview, I managed to pull together a PP presentation and deliver it to the co-founders, with seemingly enough conviction that they wanted to offer me the job, it felt like a huge achievement for me.

Where do you look for advice, guidance or inspiration when you come across a challenge?

I'm very lucky to have a supportive line manager in Jess, but also in my previous role with Helen, who continues to be my mentor. I also make a point of building great relationships with people so I am lucky to have a network of support around me all the time.

What have you enjoyed most about your role so far?

The variety, each day is completely different to the last, feel like I'm learning every day but also adding value in what I do which is very fulfilling.

And, to balance it out, what has been the worst bit?

There's so much potential, and so much to do! I work part time, and am often out and about visiting stores or looking at sites, so I am working on finding a good balance there. 

What are you most excited for in the future?

For the first boutique stores to open!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to transition from a Retail role into Retail Operations?

So long as you have people around you to support you (and that is really down to you, the company) then its a really easy transition, don't be afraid to ask questions and just enjoy learning new things, I'm certainly glad I did it.