Danish Store Manager helps franchise partner in Georgia
Facts about Georgia and JYSK Franchise
- Capital: Tbilisi
- Population: approx. 5 million
- JYSK stores: 2 (Tbilisi and Batumi)
- JYSK Franchise has a total of 144 stores in 21 countries
Line Mortensen spent two weeks in Georgia to help JYSK’s franchise partner open store number two in the country.
The answer was immediately yes, when Line Mortensen got the chance to spend two weeks in Georgia – with pay and all costs covered – to help with a store opening.
“I am generally open to anything, and it just sounded like a cool thing to try something different,” says Line who usually works as Store Manager in Haderslev, Denmark.
So at the end of July, she traveled to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where the first JYSK store opened in 2016. After a bit of sightseeing, Line moved on to Batumi, the second-largest city in the country with around 150,000 inhabitants, where the new store was to open on 8 July.
Expert on the concepts
It was JYSK’s franchise partner in Georgia who needed an expert in JYSK’s concepts to help build-up their second store.
“The preparation for the opening was pretty hard as we only had two weeks to get the store ready. Line worked with our team, sharing her knowledge and experience. Together we did a really good job. The friendly atmosphere and full concentration on work gave great results,” says Sophie Mindeli, General Manager in JYSK Georgia.
Together with five employees from the store in Tbilisi and the employees in the new store, Line started building up the store, drawing on her extensive knowledge on JYSK’s concepts.
“I have worked in JYSK for 13 years, so I know the concepts like the back of my hand. With me from home, I also had a drawing of the store, so it was just a matter of getting started on the work,” says Line.
Different work procedures
It was not until they were ready to put the products on the shelves that Line was really put to the test.
”They do not work with space in the same way as we do back home, where we have a fixed concept for where things go. So it was a bit of a challenge, but together we found a solution,” explains Line.
Proud of the cooperation
After just two weeks of intensive work, the new store was ready to open on 8 July.
“The turnover on the opening day was higher than that of the first store in Tbilisi, so I am of course very satisfied with that. And then I am just proud to work for a company, where we can support each other like this across country borders,” says Line.
