14/11 2023 - Stores
Annuska van Duuren (58) is educated in agriculture. She’d never considered working in a store before, but when she married a man from Woerden and wanted to feel at home in her new home town, she decided to take a job at the local supermarket. The retail industry turned out to be an excellent match with her personality: “Working in a store is a perfect fit for me!”
Annuska never felt any passion for working in a supermarket, but later on, she worked with pleasure at a clothing store. How did she end up at Specsavers? That wasn’t really planned. “I worked from home for a while. When I wanted to work somewhere else, I noticed my eyesight had gotten worse. I went to Specsavers for an eye test and spoke to the store owner. When I went back to collect my glasses and thought about the new challenge I was looking for, I asked him if they were looking for new people. It turned out they were! During the job interview, I became very excited because working in an optics and hearing care store is physically less demanding than in fashion retail. But also, you’re dealing with lots of details – which I like – and I was very much looking forward to exploring a new industry.”
Annuska started as a sales assistant and is still very happy with her job. “In 2017, I started training to get to know the world at Specsavers. I was so surprised about what everyone already knew! For me, the optics and hearing care world were completely new. I thought: oh my, now I need to know and be able to do so many things. But soon after, I felt at ease. I’m eager to learn and always like to find out how things work, so that came in handy.” Having an extensive network in Woerden is also an advantage. “I have now been working for 20 years in this town, so I know a lot of people; that’s useful when you work in a store.”
The healthcare aspect of working at Specsavers also suits her. “It was only until later that I found out this side of the job”, Annuska admits, “but it fits me like a glove. Whenever a customer walks in, I decide which colleague can assist this customer best. I love to help people and hear their stories. I have a talent for sales, but finding the right solution for a customer is my priority. That’s very rewarding.” Her experience in fashion retail comes in handy, too: as an in-store merchandiser, she’s responsible for the look and feel of the store. “I benefit from my background in fashion every day. How do you present your products, which colour combinations look best, which frames should we highlight and how? I make sure everything is neat and in line with other Specsavers stores. I handle point of sales materials, present our brands and keep the store attractive and easy to navigate. My daily tasks are very diverse.”
Annuska is very happy with her employer and current job. “I feel valued for what I’m doing and experience much freedom. I feel that’s Specsavers’ biggest strength: the company enables you to grow, and I can always count on my manager, the store partner.” She likes working for a well-known brand with multiple stores and feels connected to her colleagues. “My colleagues and I can be proud of this work environment. Our team is close-knit, and the entire organisation feels like family.”
On top of that, she appreciates her work-life balance: Annuska works three days a week and has time to spare for other things. “I am dedicated at work, but I also need to charge my battery at home – and in this way, that’s possible. All the little things add up, which is quite important to me. It’s one of the many reasons I enjoy working here so much.”
Want to enjoy your job as much as Annuska does? Check all vacancies at Specsavers here.
