It is 19 years since Semai Akale first took on a part-time job at REWE. Today, the Hessen-born businesswoman of Eritrean heritage successfully runs her own REWE store in Mainz. We discuss how life with three brothers is good preparation for working for yourself, how to mould career changers into managers and her tips for people starting out.
Mainz. A city quarter for upmarket living has been created at the former customs port, directly on the waterfront, and construction work is still ongoing. On the corner of the street and the water’s edge, there is a building with high ceilings and a large storefront. At the entrance, displayed proudly in large, red letters, is the word REWE. And underneath, just as large, Semai Akale.
In the entrance stands the REWE retailer whose name is emblazoned on the building. Her braided hair cascades over the shoulder pads of her bright red blazer; the same red as the REWE logo, the store to which she has remained loyal for almost 19 years.
Semai Akale was born in Höchst near Frankfurt to an Eritrean mother. As soon as I meet her at the store entrance, I am struck by two things. The first is her infectious laugh. The second is her keen eye for anything out of place. If an employee carelessly walks over a scrap of paper on the floor without picking it up or the shelves aren’t well stocked, she will see it; she will point it out and then she will fix it. And once the problem is sorted, she laughs.
is a self-employed saleswoman at REWE.
For four years, this REWE store has been her REWE store. A long-cherished dream come true thanks to her dogged determination – and all the financial resources she could muster. In the interview, Semai Akale discusses her career.
I’ve got almost 19 years under my belt now, all of them at REWE. I’m extremely loyal. I actually wanted to be a banker but, despite excellent grades and lots of work experience, the opportunity never came my way. I think it was also down to the colour of my skin; those banks tend to be fairly white. At the time, I had a part-time job at REWE and my boss suggested that I did an apprenticeship with him and continued to apply for banking jobs too. After about seven months, I decided to stay. And I wanted to learn everything about the job. After work, I sat down with my boss in the office and asked question after question. I must have got on his nerves but when you’ve got an apprentice, training them up is part of the job.
When he asked me to cover his holiday while I was still an apprentice, I realised how varied the job really is. After shortening my apprenticeship to two years, I worked as an assistant for three years, always at different locations, always new stores. Back then, I was also elected to the Strategy Committee Meeting group (SAS). I think it was mainly the women who voted for me. I was the youngest and, at times, the only woman. I was on the committee for six years. The experience I gained was invaluable. During that time, I started to think about taking on my own store.
A few years later, my current store was advertised and I really wanted it. When I got the contract, I was scared stiff and all I could think was, ‘What have you done? You opened your big mouth and now you have to see it through.’ But, as I said at the start, I had nothing to lose. I’d pooled all my money for my deposit and cashed in my savings. It was just enough and I had nothing left. However, I didn’t feel terrible because I was used to it. My mother brought up the four of us on her own, we never had a lot of money and I can make do without a lot. So, back then, I thought to myself, ‘What’s the worst that can happen? If it gets really bad, you’ll have to go back to being an employee, and that’s that…’ But that probably won’t happen. I am very ambitious and it’s been hard work up to this point.
I always wanted to be my own boss. I wanted my own team, to promote my own employees and retain them for the long term. Most of my people are career changers. I only had three months between leaving my old store and setting up my new one. That’s not a lot of time, which is why I decided to offer a job anyone who applied. Many did not have a retail background but I liked their attitude to work. I did every interview myself and initially did and explained everything myself because very few knew how retail worked.
Akale with employee Esra Yikin.
I worked in the store from morning till night, keeping all the plates spinning, and taught my current employees everything they know. And then one day I realised that I was getting a bit tired and was sometimes on the verge of falling asleep at the wheel on the way home. At that point, I realised that I needed to find someone from my team who could be trained up to take on a management role. I approached them and showed them what they could achieve in my business with a bit of commitment and determination. I am someone who keeps their word. I am also very direct. If I don’t like something, I will say so and then buy them a coffee anyway. I now have around 55 people working for me and I’m really proud of them. Staff turnover among permanent employees is extremely low.
Managing people is my thing and something I’m not prepared to delegate. It’s the only way to find out how things are going with my team. And I want to know that! I know my staff really well and, whatever the problem, I am always there for them. I can only understand what’s wrong with them if they talk to me. And they do that, even those of them who don’t like talking about their feelings. They come and talk to me too. I can empathise with a lot because I have experienced and seen all sorts in my own life. And then I try to find a solution to the problem. I like it best if I can resolve the issue, because then I can get it out of my head.
I’m the boss, my main job is talking. That’s what has made me successful, why would I change it? Keeping up to date with all your staff – remembering to ask how the dog’s operation went, for instance, or how the children are – is hard work. But my employees take care of me too. Sometimes they say, You look tired, boss. Go home and get some rest, we can handle things here.
I have a diverse and multicultural team comprising 13 or 14 nationalities. But I don’t care where someone comes from, whether they have a degree or if they’re gay. What matters to me is the sort of person they are. Take my off-licence manager, for instance. He comes from Eritrea, like my family. I met him by chance when it was all still a building site and asked, How long have you been here? Two years? And you already speak such good German?!
For me, that clearly indicated his ambition. So, I asked him to apply to work for me. He was a shop assistant for two years and he’s now a manager.
As far as I’m concerned, the fact that I’m an independent businesswoman from a migrant background is not an issue, because I don’t make it one. I’m often asked about it, but as far as I’m concerned, it goes without saying that I, a woman, can do the job as well as a man. I just do it.
Don’t let anyone belittle you. I grew up with three brothers and that definitely made me stronger. They are all very proud of me because of how far I’ve come. For a long time, I was someone who was never proud of herself. I had to learn that first. Recently, I realised that I had achieved exactly what I had set out to do five years ago, and I said to myself: Semai, now you can be proud of yourself.
My tips for prospective independent retailers: you need ambition, a thirst for knowledge, stamina – and self-belief. Don’t hang your head if something doesn’t work first time. Work on your self-esteem and don’t listen to negative voices. Then you’ll be invincible.
