Whanganui’s GDM project manager Jessica Bamford Short wins retail design award

Jessica Bamford Short, with fellow award-winner Sam Newell, was recognised as an emerging talent in the retail design industry.

At just 21 years old and not long out of school, Whanganui’s Jessica Bamford Short is making waves in the world of designing retail stores.

She’s been recognised as an emerging talent in the industry at an awards evening in Auckland.

Bamford Short joined GDM - a Gilberd St company which designs and manages store fitouts - in 2020 as a logistics co-ordinator.

After a short time, she moved up the ranks, recently becoming a project manager and looking after some of GDM’s largest clients, the company said.

“Working with my customers would have to be the highlight of my job,” Bamford Short said.

Her role involves dealing with clients daily and keeping them updated on projects.

“We have some really cool customers who are genuinely easy to get along with and build a rapport with.”

For Bamford Short, the most stand-out job she had done so far involved refitting a Torpedo7 store in Petone.

“It was a whole new store, and the project went really well,” she said.

“Production was smooth, delivery was on time and, of course, the store looks fantastic.”

Bamford Short has also project managed all The Warehouse stores’ development, from concept to installation, through the Covid challenges during 2022, along with a new Honda Outdoors concept store based in Whanganui.

“The Honda Outdoors store is pretty exciting, as it’s a store-in-store experience with some really innovative elements,” Bamford Short said.

With the support of GDM, Bamford Short was also studying for a business degree in accounting and finance at Massey University, and recently achieved her Certificate in Lean Manufacturing.

GDM director Sandra Eden said she was not surprised Bamford Short was recognised with an award.

“Jessica works in a high-pressure environment where things change all the time,” Eden said.

Bamford Short was really organised, unflappable and was someone who “gets on with the job”, she said.

“We didn’t hesitate to put Jessica forward for this award - she is completely deserving, an absolute delight to have in the office, and thoroughly dependable and practical.”

Bamford Short received the RED (Retail Excellence Design) Star Merit award.

The RED Awards, run annually by the Retail Interiors Association, promote excellence in retail design and recognise the contribution of designers, shopfitters and suppliers to the retail industry.