At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a thriving garden centre, driving sales and creating an amazing customer experience.
- Company: Dobbies, the UK's leading garden centre retailer with a passion for gardens.
- Benefits: Enjoy daytime hours, generous leave, uncapped discounts, and financial wellbeing support.
- Other info: Join a diverse team committed to customer satisfaction and career growth.
- Why this job: Achieve work-life balance while making a real impact in retail management.
- Qualifications: Proven retail management experience and a passion for developing teams.
The predicted salary is between 29250 - 35750 £ per year.
Retail management with your evenings back.
Are you an experienced Retail Store Manager or General Manager looking for a better work-life balance?
At Dobbies, our garden centres trade during the day, so late nights are rare.
You’ll usually only work late for the occasional stock take or seasonal event.
You lead a thriving store during the day and get your evenings to yourself.
As General Manager, you’ll run one of our garden centre stores.
You’ll lead a large retail team, drive sales and customer loyalty, keep operational standards high and deliver against commercial targets.
If you love retail & Hospitality leadership, developing people and creating a great customer experience, we’d love to hear from you.
Why join Dobbies as a General Manager?
- Work-life balance: daytime trading hours, so your evenings are your own. Late finishes are rare and limited to stock takes or seasonal events.
- Generous annual leave: take your holidays when you want, with limited statutory days off required.
- Uncapped staff discount: 50% off in our restaurants, 25% off in the Garden Centre and 10% off in our food halls.
- Financial wellbeing with Stream: access your earnings before payday, save for the future and get financial advice.
- Health and wellbeing with Retail Trust: confidential support, a virtual GP, free counselling and discounted retail rewards.
- Career development with Dobbies Academy: e Learning and leadership development programmes to keep your career moving.
- A thriving culture: a passionate, diverse team committed to making it work for our customers.
- Your responsibilities as General Manager
- Take full ownership of the store, managing budgets, cost controls and P&L to hit commercial targets
- Oversee the whole retail operation, maximising profitable sales and growth while creating a customer-focused environment
- Lead, motivate and develop your team, building a great place to work and a clear development journey for every colleague
- Inspire your team to deliver an outstanding customer experience across the whole store, including the garden centre, restaurant and food hall
- Monitor service levels and coach each team member in the way that suits them best
- Work closely with central support teams on communication, stock supply and replenishment
- Ensure full health and safety compliance and look after the welfare of colleagues and customers
- What we’re looking for
- Proven retail management experience as a Store Manager, General Manager or Deputy Store Manager in a large-format store, leading multiple direct reports and their teams
- Commercial awareness: a strong understanding of budgets, KPIs, profitability and driving retail sales
- People development: you can spot training needs and coach colleagues at every level to deliver first-class customer service
- Excellent communication: you share what works across the business and keep a close eye on performance
- Adaptability: you respond quickly and enthusiastically to changing priorities, workloads and concepts
- Positive change leadership: you lead your team through every season with care and motivation
• You live our values
we’re one team, getting better every day. We bring a smile. We live and breathe gardens. We make it work for our customers.
Experience in garden centres, home and garden retail, DIY, grocery, hospitality or department store management is welcome, but a passion for great retail matters most.
About Dobbies
Dobbies was founded by James Dobbie in 1865. We’re the UK’s leading garden centre retailer and the only one with stores in every nation of the UK.
Our love of gardens and plants is what makes us special.
We champion garden living all year round, with own-brand and branded products, concession partners and services.
Many of our stores also have a restaurant or coffee shop where customers can relax over a coffee or a meal.
We run a calendar of events and experiences that bring communities together, and our colleagues and customers raise money for our national charity partner.
We’re committed to being a great place to work.
We’re one team, and we encourage colleagues to be the best version of themselves every day, share their wins and celebrate success.
Together, we make it work for our customers.
Apply today to take the next step in your retail management career, with your evenings to yourself.
General Manager in Hungerford employer: Dobbies Hungerford
Dobbies is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture where teamwork and customer satisfaction are at the heart of everything we do. As a Restaurant Customer Advisor, you'll enjoy generous benefits including uncapped discounts, access to financial wellbeing support, and opportunities for personal development through our Dobbies Academy. Join us in a fast-paced environment that celebrates success and fosters a passion for gardens and community engagement.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land General Manager in Hungerford
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like Dobbies Hungerford, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like Dobbies Hungerford!
We think you need these skills to ace General Manager in Hungerford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at Dobbies Hungerford, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at Dobbies Hungerford and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show Dobbies Hungerford that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Dobbies Hungerford
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
