Laura General Store Manager

I joined Asda over 21 years ago because I wanted to work somewhere where people mattered. Retail offered fast-paced, varied work and the opportunity to make a difference every single day.What has kept me here is the people. I’ve been fortunate to work with incredible colleagues throughout my career, and no two days have ever been the same. Watching people grow in confidence, achieve promotions and realise potential they didn’t know they had is what continues to motivate me.Retail has changed enormously over the years, but one thing hasn’t changed for me: people will always be at the heart of a successful business.

It starts with culture.

Customers don’t remember every shelf that’s perfectly filled, but they always remember how they were made to feel. My role is to create an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and confident, because when our people are at their best, our customers receive the very best service.

We challenge ourselves every day by asking one simple question:

“What have we done today that genuinely made a customer’s day easier?”

If every colleague can answer that before they go home, we’ve had a successful day.

I’ve been with Asda for over two decades and have been fortunate enough to lead a variety of stores and teams across different challenges.

Throughout my career I’ve led large operational teams, transformed store performance, improved compliance, reduced shrink and developed future leaders. Every move has taught me something different, but the biggest lesson has been that sustainable results always come through investing in people first.

I’m incredibly proud of the colleagues I’ve developed who have gone on to become leaders themselves. For me, that’s one of the greatest measures of success.

My proudest achievement isn’t one particular project or set of numbers.

It’s seeing colleagues achieve things they never thought possible.

Whether that’s someone stepping into their first leadership role, rebuilding confidence after a difficult period, or watching a struggling store become somewhere colleagues genuinely enjoy coming to work again, those moments stay with you.

The commercial results always follow when you build the right culture.

For me, great retail leadership comes down to five things:

• Being visible
• Leading with honesty
• Making decisions with courage
• Remaining calm under pressure
• Never forgetting you’re leading people, not just processes
  

Retail changes every day, so resilience and adaptability are essential. But the best leaders never lose sight of the human side of leadership.

If your team trusts you, they’ll achieve far more than they ever will through targets alone.

Come with curiosity, humility and a willingness to learn.

Retail management isn’t just about running a store-it’s about leading people, solving problems and making hundreds of decisions every day.

Don’t worry about having all the answers. Listen to your team, ask questions and never stop learning.

Most importantly, be authentic. Your colleagues don’t expect perfection-they expect consistency, honesty and someone who genuinely cares.

Without question, it’s the people.

Seeing a colleague leave work believing in themselves a little more than they did when they arrived is incredibly rewarding.

As leaders we’re privileged to have an opportunity to influence people’s confidence, careers and sometimes even their lives.

Knowing that I’ve helped create opportunities for others is something I’m incredibly proud of.

Great leadership is creating more leaders.

It’s setting clear expectations while giving people the confidence to succeed in their own way.

It’s being prepared to have difficult conversations when needed, but also celebrating success loudly and often.

For me, leadership isn’t about having all the answers-it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels they can contribute, challenge ideas and be the very best version of themselves.

When your team succeeds without needing you in every decision, you’ve done your job well.