Olivier Jourdan, a beauty manager at Nayomi, oversees the entire collection of fragrance and beauty products sold in the company’s 185 stores throughout the GCC. Mr Jourdan, 29, from France, studied marketing in Paris and Washington DC before moving to Dubai to bring his experience in product development to beauty retailers in the Middle East.
6am
I try to get up at 6am (I have to be honest, some days I just snooze and stay in bed until 7am) to have time to go to the gym before work. I particularly enjoy running, as it makes me feel fresh and ready for the day ahead. By the time I take a shower and have a quick breakfast, it’s time to go to work.
8am
I always start by analysing sales from the day before. I have to admit I am slightly obsessed with figures and sales results, as I believe these are the main driver for every decision we need to make. Knowing which products sell well, which store is beating sales records and which one is struggling is extremely important. So that is what I do for the first two hours and I usually spend quite a lot of time on the phone with our sales and store managers to discuss the results. They always have the most valuable feedback as they spend their time on the field in our stores, so they know better than anyone what our customers love about our products, or what they would like us to do differently.
10am
This is usually the time for meetings with the other departments and teams at Nayomi. Everything we do at the office is done as a team, and every decision involves several departments, which is why we meet on a daily basis. My main job is to develop the fragrances and beauty products that you find in the Nayomi stores. Before these products hit the shelves, I work with the planning team who make precise sales forecasts, the visual merchandising team who make sure the products are well displayed in the store, the marketing team who raise awareness of the products, and the training team who visit our stores to explain the products to our store teams. I like our internal meetings, as there’s always a positive and friendly atmosphere.
1pm
Lunchtime. Most of the time, I have lunch outside the office. I like taking a break and we’re lucky to have a few nice spots around our building. As we have a mall next to the office, I also like going to see other stores to see what’s new and smell the new fragrances.
2pm
During the afternoon, most of my time is spent talking to our two main suppliers. One creates our fragrance and beauty products and the other produces our packaging. Both are located in France, so with the time difference it’s best to talk to them in the afternoon. All our products are made in France; this is very important as it ensures the best possible quality for our customers. I’m not saying this because I’m French myself, but can you tell me what other country is as widely recognised for its fragrance and beauty knowledge and expertise? With the perfumers, I discuss the specific tastes of women in the GCC and brief them on the future fragrances we want to launch. With the manufacturers, I discuss our packaging and brief them on the look and feel that the products should have to fit our store design and, of course, what our customers like. We also have a supplier in Los Angeles. Because of the 11-hour time difference, whenever we need to talk I either have to stay in the office until very late or they have to arrive very early in the morning. No need to tell you which option I prefer.
6pm
I go home and relax after work. This is when I can check my emails and Facebook for hours. I also like to catch up with my favourite TV shows or series. The problem I have with series is I can easily become addicted and watch 10 episodes in a row.
8pm
I have dinner with friends. We like meeting up and going to new places. It doesn’t have to be fancy; something on the go is perfect. When the Dubai summer heat cools down in October, friends and family members start to escape the European cold and visit me. So at that time, most dinners will be next to The Dubai Mall fountains. It doesn’t bother me, though; I’m not getting tired of the fountains and I think they perfectly represent the Dubai extravaganza that makes life here so enjoyable.
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