Dreamland Bedding GM earns People in Retail nomination

Matt Randle, general manager of Dreamland Bedding, has built a retail career that balances commercial success with social purpose over more than a decade. His nomination for the 2026 People in Retail Awards highlights a career trajectory that began in fast-food work and culminated in an MBA earned through a senior leadership apprenticeship—a path that demonstrates his belief leadership should connect people rather than just scale hierarchies.

His professional start came by necessity rather than design. After leaving school, Randle took a full-time job at McDonald’s, prioritizing income over further education. It was only in his early twenties, during an informal apprenticeship, that he rediscovered his interest in learning. That spark led him back to university, where he studied Business Enterprise, specializing in small businesses and retail—a field he had already engaged with through weekend shifts at Dreamland Bedding.

His parents had urged him to stay with the family business for rent-free accommodation, but Randle was drawn to the retail environment itself. Unlike his previous roles, this work required direct customer interaction, a challenge he found energizing. “I’d managed people before, but I’d never really had that face-to-face interaction with customers, and I found I loved it,” he said.

Bringing Academia into Retail Practice

Introducing academic strategies into a long-established business proved difficult at first. The owner, accustomed to traditional operations, resisted a 20-something’s proposals. Randle quickly learned that ideas alone were insufficient, presentation and persistence were equally critical. Over time, however, the owner recognized the value of continuous learning. Education, in Randle’s view, wasn’t about accumulating knowledge for its own sake but about challenging established practices. “It gives you fresh perspectives and helps you challenge the idea that just because something has always been done a certain way, it should stay that way,” he explained.

This mindset extended beyond his own development. Randle became active in the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, spoke at schools and industry events, and advocated for integrating learning into retail operations. His own career, from fast food to formal business education, served as a practical example of how theoretical knowledge could be applied in real-world settings rather than existing in isolation.

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When Randle returned to university a decade after his initial degree, the owner of Dreamland Bedding not only supported the decision but actively encouraged it. Randle structured the financial and time commitments, demonstrating how the new knowledge would directly benefit the business. The owner’s response was straightforward: “Go and do it.” The education wasn’t theoretical, every concept was immediately tested and adapted in practice. “We didn’t leave it sitting in a folder somewhere. We implemented it, tested it, and adapted it,” he said.

Beyond Awards: Emphasizing Team Success

While awards like Best Bed Shop in the UK carry prestige, their personal significance has diminished over time. What matters more is the broader impact. When the business was shortlisted last year, the entire team attended the ceremony, a deliberate choice to emphasize collective achievement. The owner’s quiet pride afterward, expressed by treating the staff to champagne the next morning, carried more weight for Randle than any individual recognition.

Personal Roots Fuel Community Giving

His commitment to the community stems from personal experiences. A grandmother’s care at Mary Stevens Hospice has motivated him to support them through fundraising and sponsorship activities. He has also had experiences in his own family that have shaped his priorities.

Randle’s community involvement arises organically rather than through planned initiatives. His engagement often begins with curiosity, whether through discussions with local council members about regional culture or unexpected collaborations with other businesses. “You meet somebody through one project, which leads to another conversation, which leads to another opportunity,” he observed. Recent work with authorities on education and cultural development emerged from unrelated discussions.

His ongoing motivation centers on the intersection of professional work and personal values. Whether through apprenticeships, community projects, or sustainable business practices, his goal remains consistent: to leave the community stronger than he found it. The specifics of each initiative matter less than their collective direction. The most recent concrete step in this journey is a renewed commitment to fundraising for Mary Stevens Hospice, ensuring continued support for families facing end-of-life care.