Finding the middle ground between head office-issued orders and what customers want and need can be tricky, but to Vanessa Love it is second nature

The retail sales manager has been with LloydsPharmacy for over 20 years and it was her work at the company’s branch in Harpurhey, Manchester that saw her win highly commended in the Retail Skills category.

Vanessa recognises the value of a good planogram, saying she makes sure promotions are perfectly merchandised in order to maximise their effectiveness, and highlights everything the pharmacy has to offer by prominently displaying leaflets about services. 

Previous Spotlight Award winner and RoE judge Haroon Mahmood, zoned in on the support and training Vanessa provides to her colleagues, particularly with regards to the branch’s healthy living pharmacy status, as testament to her skills. LloydsPharmacy cluster manager Ayo Jatto, who nominated Vanessa, had nothing but praise for the help she offers to other stores, underlining “her outstanding results”.