Sales Manager / Area Manager in London

As an Sales Manager / Area Manager, you will hold full leadership responsibility for the commercial results, customer experience, and overall profitability of the stores within GB, IE, FR, BE, ES, IT, LU and GR. You ensure the effective implementation of global strategies, delivering elevated collection presentation and operational excellence that position ARKET as a market leader within your region.

In this role, you oversee the strategic planning and execution of all sales‑driving and operational activities, ensuring each store delivers a consistent, inspiring brand experience aligned with company standards. You work closely with Store Managers and Area Team to analyse performance, identify opportunities, and drive continuous improvement across your portfolio.

A central part of your mission is to cultivate a people‑first culture. You build strong, high‑performing teams by providing coaching, development, and clear leadership to ensure your stores are equipped to deliver exceptional service and achieve sustainable, profitable growth.

What you will do:

• Sales and Financial Performance: Accountable for the commercial success of the area, analysing performance data to identify opportunities and risks and ensure the delivery of strong financial performance. Lead the execution of sales strategies and implement cost control measures to drive profitability and growth.
• Customer Experience: Champion a customer-first mindset, ensuring exceptional service across all stores. Monitor service performance and competitor benchmarks to maintain leadership in customer experience.
• Operational Management: Oversee daily operations across multiple stores, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and compliance with ARKET standards. Collaborate cross-functionally to implement staffing structures, optimise store layouts, and uphold audit criteria.
• Team Leadership and Development: Lead and develop Store Managers, fostering a high-performing and inclusive culture. Guide the team through the full employee lifecycle, ensuring alignment with ARKET values, leadership principles, and business goals.
• Compliance and Safety: Ensure all stores comply with health, safety, and legal regulations. Lead efforts to minimise stock loss and operational risk through audits and adherence to ARKET guidelines.

Qualifications

Alignment to our company values is the most important characteristic we look for in all new joiners. Our values are the behaviours that we appreciate above and beyond anything else. We are open‑minded and curious, we dare to be different, we believe in constant improvement, and we empower and trust you to take ownership. Our values are part of who we are, what we stand for, and how we act.

What you need to succeed:

• Business Acumen: Understand the retail landscape and makes resourceful, data-informed decisions. Balances priorities with a focus on sustainable results and long-term value creation.
• Dedication to Excellence: Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging a mindset focused on value creation and continuous evolution to surpass customer expectations with outstanding services.
• Customer Centricity: Keep a pulse on customer and user needs, industry trends and best practices to ensure ARKET can deliver exceptional experiences and drive business outcomes through their external partnerships.
• Operational Excellence: Demonstrate the ability to oversee and continuously improve operations. Applies strategic planning, process optimization, and resource management to drive efficiency and consistency.
• Communication: Communicate clearly and effectively, adapting to different audiences and contexts. Listen actively, gives and receives feedback constructively, and represents the brand confidently when engaging with franchise partners.

Additional Requirements: Willingness and ability to travel extensively (up to 80% of the time).

Additional Information: This is a full time, permanent contract based at our Office in London.

Benefits: We offer all our employees attractive benefits with extensive development opportunities around the globe. All our employees receive a 25% staff discount usable on all our H&M Group brands in stores and online. In addition to our staff discount, all our employees are included in our H&M Incentive Program – HIP.

In addition to this London based colleagues also receive 25 days holiday, discounts on everyday brands and leisure activities, Retail Trust membership, pension scheme, discounted gym membership, and cycle to work scheme.

Inclusion & Diversity: At the H&M group we’re determined to create and maintain inclusive, diverse and equitable workplaces throughout our organisation. Our teams should consist of a variety of people who share and combine their knowledge, experience and ideas. Having a diverse workforce leads to a positive impact on how we address challenges, what we perceive as possible and how we choose to relate to our colleagues and customers all over the world, therefore all diversity dimensions are taken into consideration in our recruitment process.

Company Description: ARKET offers essential collections for women, men, children and the home, along with a seasonal vegetarian café and coffee shop. Inspired by simplicity, nature, and the aesthetics of slow living, the assortments features garments, objects, and food carefully made and artfully curated for a more beautiful everyday life.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!