While some adult retailers sulk over the economy and declining DVD sales, Castle Megastore continuously forges forward with a proactive approach to business. Offering direction, support and incentives for the company’s employees, Rosales, an upbeat professional, has played a key role in Castle Megastore’s success since joining the team in 2005.
How did you get into the business?
By accident really, I was invited to apply at Castle by a friend of mine who had been retained as the recruiter for the position and thought I would be a good fit for the position. After coming out to meet with the people here at the time and reviewing the challenges present, it made sense to me.
What is your role and responsibility at Castle Megastore?
I am the director of human resources. I am responsible for aligning our people with company objectives and strategies. In simple terms, I ensure that we are placing the right people in the right places.
Describe a typical Monday at your desk …
Mondays are interesting; they are usually composed of reading through a lot of emails and prioritizing new projects. I like every week to feel like it’s a new start so I usually have a phrase in mind that helps me get focused depending on what types of things are on the agenda for the week.
What in your background prepared you for what you are doing now?
A lot of things, really; my background is very diverse and I have held many different types of positions within business. I do however have to credit my first office job. Like Castle, every day there was a different challenge, one moment we were talking to clients about benefits and helping their employees resolve claim issues and another day we could be hosting a large fundraiser for a local charity. The demands changed daily and you just needed to be able to adapt. At Castle, we all present ideas on what would work best so despite your area of responsibility, if you are a subject matter expert on a specific subject, you may be brought in to help resolve a challenge. It keeps things interesting.
What do you see as the challenges to adult retailers as the economy tends to decline and discretionary spending slows?
I think there are many challenges — some are universal and some are specific to the businesses it affects. In general terms, I think that a lot of adult retailers have not really worked on differentiating their operations and have followed a model that has been present for over 30 years. The chains and boutiques that are really excelling and/or surviving are those that have continued to evolve through the years despite the economy, and have focused their operations and product selections to what their customers really want. Consumer centric operations are the future and everyone needs to work towards accomplishing that. Discretionary spending is still there; the customer is just a lot savvier about how they will spend their money. You see it in the high-end toy department where customers are spending over $140 on a toy versus a $60 toy that may need replacement in a few months.
Does your work affect your personal life?
Other than some minor work-life balance issues during busy times, I keep my work and my personal life very separate so that there is no effect. I do tend to sometimes work a little too much, mainly because I love what I do.
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