Influential Woman · Grocery Retail Design

Melanie Ossege

Lead Store Plan Standards Designer, Kroger Corperate Office

Cincinnati, OH

Her Story

About Melanie

I started my career in architectural design in 1992, beginning as a residential designer where I developed my passion for construction and the efficiencies of design - making things aesthetically pleasing while ensuring they fit the job they were designed for and could actually work well. I explored different skill sets by moving into commercial design for a while, then tried mechanical design but didn't care for it. I landed in fashion retail for quite some time before ending up in grocery retail, where I've stayed for the past 27 years. Grocery retail really held my attention because it's so fast-paced and continuously changing. At first, you might think 'grocery? really?' but there are so many different variations in different areas of the country, and you serve customers differently, so it's a great challenge. The pandemic really changed things in the retail grocery world - who would have thought 10 years ago that so many folks would be picking their groceries up curbside or having things delivered to their kitchen table? I find the constant problem-solving challenges exciting and energizing. When I'm doing design for grocery retail, I'm not only thinking about the American public that's purchasing, but also creating the workspace for thousands of associates in the store, ensuring it's a pleasant place to work and that things are where they need to be. I really enjoy the inspiration of my peers and the creativity they bring to the table - there's a lot of collaborative work in my field, and everyone is so generous with their ideas and wanting to work together.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Melanie

01What do you attribute your success to?

I'll go all the way back to my grandmother Katherine. My grandmother was a huge part of my upbringing and a very influential woman in my life. She was never afraid to try something new. She had her hands busy with new hobbies, interest, developing skills and supporting family focused quality time. She definitely had no obstacles or limitations stop her. I watched her drive to seek out new experiences throughout her life. I took that on as there's no limitations, there's nothing that you can't do. It's never a mistake or failure, if you have learned a new approach to try again. So you've got to keep trying, you've got to keep learning and evolving as you go eventually you succeed. My grandmother is my greatest mentor.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I think it's really about understanding the needs that are out there of the different customers and what they're looking for, so I would suggest that you really study the customer and the different aspects of them. The customer is not only the American public that's purchasing, but also the customer is the associate in the store. When you're doing the design for grocery retail, you're also creating the workspace for thousands of people, so being conscious of that to ensure that it's a pleasant place to work and that the things are where they need to be is important. The function comes first, and then the form of the design. You have to meet everyone in all aspects where they are and get that vision of what they need, both in-store and out-of-store these days.

03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I think really, integrity - approaching things with great integrity and coming from a place of good intentions to achieve things together is really important. Mutual respect for one another as you're working with folks is really up there. You're going to find that people are going to be much more willing to lend a helping hand or collaborate quickly with you if they've received that in return. Mutual respect helps you move forward together as a team versus kind of standing alone as an island because maybe you've burned some bridges. So it's so important to show a lot of respect and gratitude for the folks around you that are with you along the journey.

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