Retail Space & Density Lead — Data-Driven Optimisation

An analytical and commercially driven role that leads the strategic allocation and optimisation of retail space across the business. The Space Planning & Sales Density Manager is responsible for ensuring that every metre delivers maximum value through data led planning, robust performance analysis, and evidence-based decision making. This role will shape store layouts and category space allocation using sales density metrics, customer behaviour insights and trading performance data.

Responsibilities

• Space Planning & Optimisation
  • Develop and maintain space planning principles across all stores, aligning layouts with commercial priorities and customer missions.
  • Own space allocation across categories, ensuring optimal use of indoor and outdoor retail space.
  • Continuously review and refine store layouts based on performance data and seasonal trading patterns.
• Data-Led Decision Making
  • Analyse sales density (e.g. sales per square metre, per linear metre) to evaluate space productivity across categories and locations.
  • Use data insights to recommend reallocations of space to improve profitability and customer experience.
  • Build and maintain dashboards and reporting frameworks to track space performance and ROI.
  • Leverage historical sales, stock turn, margin, and footfall data to support planning decisions.
• Commercial Performance
  • Partner with Buying, Merchandising, and Operations teams to ensure space plans reflect commercial strategy and product priorities.
  • Identify underperforming categories or space inefficiencies and propose actionable improvements.
  • Support range reviews with clear, evidence-based recommendations on space requirements and productivity targets.
• Testing & Continuous Improvement
  • Design and implement in-store trials to test new layouts, category adjacencies, and merchandising approaches.
  • Measure and evaluate trial outcomes using defined KPIs, including sales density uplift and conversion rates.
  • Roll out successful initiatives across the estate with clear guidelines and performance expectations.
• Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Work closely with store teams to ensure effective execution of space plans and gather feedback from the shop floor.
  • Present insights and recommendations to senior leadership, translating data into clear commercial actions.

Who we are looking for

• Proven experience in space planning, merchandising analytics, or retail performance optimisation.
• Strong analytical capability with experience using data tools (e.g. Excel, Power BI, Tableau or similar).
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex data sets and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Commercial mindset with a strong understanding of retail KPIs and category performance drivers.
• Experience working in multi-site retail environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Highly detail-oriented with a passion for data accuracy and integrity.
• Curious and proactive, with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Able to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Confident in challenging assumptions using data-led evidence.

What we offer

• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Use your holidays when you want with limited statutory days off required.
• Treat yourself with generous uncapped discount across our stores with 50% off in our Restaurants, 25% off in the Garden Centre and 10% off in our food halls.
• Access to Stream - support your financial wellbeing, with ability to access earnings ahead of pay day, save for future and financial advice.
• Access to Retail Trust - seek confidential support, access to a virtual GP, free counselling service and discounted retail rewards with our employee wellbeing platform.
• Access to Dobbies Academy - continue your development with our eLearning platform and development programmes.
• Thriving culture; the Dobbies team are passionate, diverse and committed to making it work for our customers.

About us

At Dobbies, we’re proud to have a history dating back to 1865. We were founded by James Dobbie and are the only garden centre retailer to have stores in every nation across the UK. Our passion and joy for gardens and plants is what makes us special. In our stores, we showcase this through own brand and branded products, concession partners and services. We champion garden living all-year-round. Many of our stores feature a restaurant or coffee shop, where customers can enjoy refreshments or meals in a relaxed and welcoming environment. We offer a calendar of events and experiences that bring people and communities together, and we have a national charity partner that both our colleagues and customers raise money for. We’re committed to being a great place to work. We’re one team and we encourage our colleagues to be the best version of themselves, every day; to share their wins and celebrate success. Together, we make it work for our customers.