One of the beautiful historic buildings in the center of Prešov is also the Collegium building. Since the seventeenth century, it has housed a gymnasium, an incomplete university, a school institute, and today it is the seat of the Evangelical bishop. Visitors to Prešov will notice many memorial plaques on its walls, as well as several shops on its ground floor. One of them, the Milk-Agro store, took first place in the annual Best Store of the Year competition. We spoke with the manager Janka Bednárová about this success.
A store in such a precious space has its charm...
Yes, it has its special atmosphere. I believe it also attracts people to us. The vaults, niches, and corners give us the opportunity to create and invent how to use the space. As you can see, the space is quite narrow, and if we want to have enough goods, we have to use it to the maximum.
It is demanding on logistics...
Given the size of our store, daily supply is a necessity. We are in a pedestrian zone, so from early morning hours, the operation is busy. Suppliers come one after another and must unload goods by nine o'clock. And we do not stop with them...
We care about a diverse range of goods for our buyers, and when they show particular interest in something, we try to place that product in the store as soon as possible. And regularly restock goods so that the shelves are not empty...
The smell of baked goods spreads here all day...
Last year, we expanded our services to include baking of pastries. Our customers are used to buying warm, crispy pastries, whether buttery rolls, plain, filled with fruit, croissants, or simple, tasty cakes until late afternoon hours. We are glad that this service has been well received and arouses great interest among buyers.
You are in the historic center, do many tourists come here?
“Strangers” also come, but we mostly have regular customers. The proximity of offices, the church, and the bus stop causes sometimes 15–20 people to gather here in 15 minutes, and we must quickly and flexibly replenish the sold goods. The rushes are predictable, so we prepare in advance and restock goods quickly enough so that buyers do not even notice the shortage...
Tell us about your work for the Milk-Agro company
I have been working for Milk-Agro for 26 years. I started as a saleswoman, then worked as a deputy, and later as a store manager. This order is useful because you gradually understand the contexts and duties of each position, and also because I can use these experiences, for example, when selecting new employees. We have a stable team in our store; some of my colleagues have worked here for 20 years, and of course, they have a big share in our successful placement. Only a functioning and mentally aligned team can achieve a great result.
Your recipe for success?
I was trained by experienced colleagues, and I quickly understood one thing: they worked there with great personal commitment to fulfilling tasks, sales, and especially to keep customers satisfied. This practically means – putting not only intelligence and skill into your work but mainly your heart...
Thank you for the interview.
