WHSmith
Cafe - Store Manager

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Single Site Store Manager – Costa Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
An exciting opportunity to run our newly opening Costa Cafe.
At WHSmith/Costa, our mission is clear: to make every journey better, with our people, customers, and partners at the heart of everything we do. As a Single Site Store Manager, you will lead your store’s performance, driving growth and success through effective leadership, operational excellence, and a customer-first mindset.
What being a Single Site Store Manager is all about:
People:
- Collaborating with other stores within your group to achieve business objectives, sharing insights, successes, and strategies.
- Coaching and developing your store team, identifying and nurturing talent for key roles.
- Advocating for the colleague voice, ensuring open communication and sharing ideas with your team and manager.
- Supporting and embedding the Group Engagement Plan, keeping your team engaged and aligned with business goals.
- Ensuring compliance with HR processes and policies with guidance from Employee Advisors and your manager.
- Overseeing mandatory training completion and providing new starters with an effective and welcoming induction experience.
- Fostering a culture of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, ensuring everyone feels valued and able to be themselves at work.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Plan:
- Identifying sales-driving opportunities using data insights and collaborating with your manager to implement proactive solutions.
- Ensuring store activities are executed on time and in line with brand guidelines and supplier compliance through effective planning and communication.
- Maintaining a safe and legally compliant work environment by adhering to all Health & Safety and legal requirements.
- Managing cash and shrink processes, ensuring adequate food supply and minimising waste while addressing areas of loss.
- Overseeing day-to-day store operations, ensuring operational excellence through consistent best practices.
- Supporting your manager in delivering key performance indicators (KPIs), resolving any performance issues with SMART actions.
Customer:
- Role modelling exceptional customer service and creating a customer-first culture, ensuring a welcoming and efficient environment.
- Managing queues, upselling products, and making your store the go-to choice for food and beverages.
- Maintaining consistently high standards across your store, using the operational booklet (or equivalent) effectively.
- Taking full accountability for colleague productivity, stock availability, and overall store performance to enhance the customer experience.
- Coaching and training your team to grow sales by focusing on key metrics like spend per passenger, average transaction value (ATV), and transaction volumes.


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How we reward our teams:
- Competitive salary, pension scheme, and 33 days holiday (including bank holidays).
- Employee discounts (up to 50%) and deals from retail partners for savings on dining, entertainment, and more.
- Employee Assistance Programme to support physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.
About WHSmith:
With a rich heritage, WHSmith continues to grow, particularly in airports, hospitals, rail stations, and motorway services. Our InMotion brand is leading the way in digital accessories, offering an exceptional customer experience. We have established strong partnerships with brands like M&S and Costa Coffee to broaden our customer offerings across the UK. As we grow, our mission remains simple: to make every journey better.
We are proud to be an inclusive employer, where our colleagues are welcome and free to be themselves.
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