As the saying goes, Kaitlyn Lester wears many hats. The general manager of a Lunds & Bylerlys store in Eagan, Minn., is a strong leader, fierce competitor, thoughtful mentor and compassionate community advocate.
<div> <p paraid="20872053" paraeid="{4a6e0062-813a-411f-94e0-f9341cdbca71}{160}"><strong>Category A: Kaitlyn Lester <br /> Lunds & Byerlys, Eagan, MN </strong></p> </div> <div> <p paraid="1067226969" paraeid="{4a6e0062-813a-411f-94e0-f9341cdbca71}{192}">As the saying goes, Kaitlyn Lester wears many hats. The general manager of a Lunds & Bylerlys store in Eagan, Minn., is a strong leader, fierce competitor, thoughtful mentor and compassionate community advocate. </p> </div> <div> <p paraid="458475893" paraeid="{4a6e0062-813a-411f-94e0-f9341cdbca71}{240}">Oh, and she’s also known for wearing actual hats – usually extravagant ones – during her store’s annual Derby Days celebration. </p> </div> <div> <p paraid="1026379707" paraeid="{b3604bd0-a2ae-414d-94b1-e26d26b4705f}{7}">Lester’s adeptness at switching between roles and learning new ones has been honed over 22 years in the industry. </p> </div> <div> <h5>A Master Class in Operations</h5> <p paraid="1355165079" paraeid="{b3604bd0-a2ae-414d-94b1-e26d26b4705f}{19}"><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/eagan-s-brand-champions.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=c67012bd_1" style="float:right;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:10px;" title="Eagan’s Brand Champions" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Eagan’s Brand Champions" />More recently, her leadership role has been put to the test with the opening of a competing store right across the street. Lester responded swiftly and strongly, differentiating her store with effective merchandising programs, a broad produce selection, indispensable employees and expanded community outreach. She also created a “master class” for disciplined operators as a way to retain customers and profits. </p> </div> <div> <p paraid="1635733045" paraeid="{b3604bd0-a2ae-414d-94b1-e26d26b4705f}{105}">Those efforts helped drive traffic to the Lunds & Byerlys store – literally, as many shoppers drove into that parking lot instead of the competitor’s space. While sales were a hair below plan (less than .30% off) Lester finished the year with a Gross After Payroll of 3.86% above plan, and her store was 7.74% over its performance target for the year. </p> </div> <div> <h5>A Brand Champion</h5> <p paraid="1414393438" paraeid="{b3604bd0-a2ae-414d-94b1-e26d26b4705f}{191}">In another testament to the success of Lester’s efforts, customers, who responded to surveys offered on the back of receipts, gave this store an Overall Satisfaction Score of 75%, one of the highest in the company. An overwhelming majority – 81% -- of her shoppers say they are likely to return to the store, more than the previous year. </p> </div> <div> <p paraid="1728474799" paraeid="{908152f5-682c-478a-ab4f-799c981a4a8e}{24}">She has received accolades on the organization side as well. Based on voting by her peers, she was named a Brand Champion by Lunds & Byerlys in 2019 for emulating the company’s values. </p> <h5>Shining in Her Community</h5> </div> <div> <p paraid="415347580" paraeid="{908152f5-682c-478a-ab4f-799c981a4a8e}{72}"><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/image-2-kentucky-derby.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=38d925e8_1" style="float:left;margin-bottom:10px;margin-right:10px;" title="Image 2 Kentucky Derby" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Image 2 Kentucky Derby" />Lester makes things fun for her staff and customers, like encouraging her team to sport avant garde hats during the aforementioned Kentucky Derby time and hosting a “Boo Blast” with Halloween trick or treating, face painting and staff dressed up in costumes. </p> </div> <div> <p paraid="1048882948" paraeid="{908152f5-682c-478a-ab4f-799c981a4a8e}{114}">Hospitality extends to the community, and here, too, Lester shines. She led her store’s participation in a “Food Fight’ between anchors from a local news station that raised food and cash for a local food bank. That event resulted in a 350,000-pound haul that was donated to community members in need. </p> </div> <div> <p paraid="444678477" paraeid="{908152f5-682c-478a-ab4f-799c981a4a8e}{152}">Whether engaging in friendly competition with a nearby store, opening her door to the community or teaming closely with her staff, Lester is the type of manager who deserves – you guessed it – a tip of the hat. </p> </div> <menu><span style="font-size: 16px;"> “She has helped me grow as a leader by encouraging me to push boundaries I wouldn’t normally push. Our predominately male-led industry can be intimidating, but I am learning through her how to get what I need to perform my job successfully. Kaitlyn might assist you the first time in a task, but she will never do it for you.” Jennie O’Konek, operations manager, Lunds & Byerlys </span> </menu> <div> <p paraid="1652615836" paraeid="{908152f5-682c-478a-ab4f-799c981a4a8e}{208}"> </p> </div> <a href="https://www.fmi.org/store-manager-awards/manager" class="button">Meet Kaitlyn</a>
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