4/6/2010 1:39 PM
At Axfood our core values act as a guide in everything we do, with each individual core value focused on key areas for the stores and the staff. One of Axfood’s core values is You are important, which emphasises how crucial our employees are in making the business work. One aspect of the core value is the way all employees are encouraged to take responsibility for their own development within the group and Esther Lundkvist is one of those who has done just that.
“I started out at PrisXtra in 2002, working weekends and evenings alongside my studies in urban planning,” explains Esther. “Working part-time in a store is perfect when you’re a student!”
In 2004 Esther left PrisXtra to focus fully on her studies, but it didn’t take long for her to return.
“I worked as a checkout supervisor and checkout manager for a short while, before I started as database manager at PrisXtra’s support office.”
The support office is responsible for administrative operations and when Axfood took over PrisXtra, Esther worked closely with Axfood on many operational issues.
“I really got a feel for what Axfood was like as an employer during that time and saw that there were all sorts of opportunities to progress here – and not just in the stores, which is probably what people first think of, but also in other departments like the one I work in now, which deals with structural issues and setting up new stores. I think having practical experience of store work is an advantage wherever you work in Axfood,” concludes Esther.
“Here at Axfood, we really want to encourage everyone to progress within the group and seize the opportunities on offer. Sometimes changing job within the group is a good way to increase your overall understanding of the business and so contribute to our business development,” says Jenny Tydén, head of leadership succession at Axfood.