Store Manager

Department: Retail

Reports to: Head of Retail Operations

Direct Reports: Senior Sales Associate, Sales Associates

Location: Old Church Street

Our Values:

• Every day the energy, creativity and passion of Manolo permeates through our business.
• We believe in the artist and the artisan; we are innovative while still protecting our heritage.
• We strive for timeless beauty and quality craftmanship.
• We celebrate curiosity and believe in working proactively and being solution focused.
• We believe in upholding family values; we treat everyone with honesty, respect and kindness while nurturing our teams to deliver excellence.
• We believe in making people smile.

Purpose:

To manage and elevate the Old Church Street boutique by driving sales generation, delivering an excellent customer experience and coaching team members. Alongside the Head of Retail Operations, develop a store strategy to optimise profitability and grow the existing customer base, whilst ensuring service excellence with a high performing team that are exceptional Manolo Blahnik ambassadors. To work collaboratively with other UK & EU Store Managers, Stock Control Manager, Customer Service, Merchandising and other Head Office teams to deliver commercial and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and mentoring

• Coach and mentor team members by setting daily and weekly commercial objectives to excel in their role.
• Display high levels of personal motivation and implement effective incentives to inspire and drive the team.
• Display a dedicated approach to self-awareness and self-development.
• Work with integrity and respect for others; create excellent team participation and ensure the team and boutique(s) are presented to the highest standards.
• Work alongside Learning and Development to manage the delivery of product training and client service training.
• Responsible for store recruitment, evaluation, and development of the store team. Demonstrate effective succession planning and networking.
• Ensure all People and Culture policies and procedures are implemented, resolving all staff issues effectively, working with the People and Culture Team to manage performance where required.
• Maintain high store standards and conditions whilst fostering a positive work environment.

Strategy and analysis

• Feedback to the Head of Retail Operations and Merchandising function in terms of product mix and volumes in order to drive sales and exceed targets.
• Provide regular market studies including statistical analysis of competitors, assortments, price points and clientele (both local and visiting) with a view to highlighting additional sales opportunities.
• Manage the collating, analysis, reporting and evaluating of sales working in conjunction with the Head of Retail Operations.

Commercial and Sales

• Provide training and coaching for team members to help them achieve their individual sales targets and KPI’s.
• Record and update sales performance, such as Sell Throughs, product feedback, trade feedback.
• Manage and prepare the two major seasonal sales events and additional sales events as may occur.
• Provide both analytical and qualitative feedback to wider business and commercial stakeholders.
• Drive and develop commercial performance of the boutique(s) by identifying business opportunities in line with overall company objectives and policies.
• Adopt a proactive approach to customer acquisition, development, and retention.
• Provide analysis and feedback on clientele and product line performances, in weekly/monthly reports. Develop and implement action plans to deliver improvements.
• Maintain awareness of market trends in the retail industry, understanding forthcoming customer initiatives and monitoring what local competitors are doing.
• Work collaboratively with the Head of Retail Operations, Communications and Events teams to plan and deliver regular events both in the boutique and externally.

Client Experience

• Provide exceptional client experience and service; provide personalised and timely after-sales service to clients, dealing effectively with client complaints.
• Demonstrate high level of product knowledge (telling the story, features and benefits etc.) and coach other team members.
• Develop strong, long-lasting, commercial relationships with clients, establishing a regular client base and providing support to team members to ensure all sales opportunities are optimized.
• Develop relationships with surrounding businesses and brands to help grow and develop the MB business and assist in the management of special client events.

Operational excellence

• Champion retail excellence and ensure unwavering standards of presentation and service within the boutique(s).
• Ownership of all store operations including Payroll, cash management, invoices, replenishment, sundries, and mandatory compliance trainings.
• Be accountable for and educate team members on effective implementation of merchandising guidelines, replenishment methods and housekeeping standards to ensure that the store is always represented at the highest level.
• Work with the Stock Control Manager to ensure effective management of stock layouts, rotations, recalls, Omni-channel fulfilment and stock take/audit preparation and execution.
• Work alongside Head Of Retail Operations and Internal Controls to create and implement store policies.
• Work with Facilities team to ensure Health and Safety standards are met within store.

Any other tasks as requested.

Skills and Experience Required:

• +5 years’ experience in a retail management role, preferably in the luxury industry.
• Proven Commercial awareness and business acumen within the luxury retail sector.
• Leadership: High level of accountability required with the ability to direct, motivate, and inspire people internally and externally. Experience of motivating and leading successful teams; coaching and mentoring. Strong and motivational team-building skillset to drive excellence in results and all aspects of client experience.
• Demonstrate evidence of planning successful events.
• Excellent analytical, report-writing skills, accuracy and attention to detail. Strong problem-solving skills with a strong, solution-based mindset. Ability to prioritise tasks, and ensure delivery of results within tight deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Communication: Strong and effective presentation skills and ability to converse with a diverse range of people at all levels.
• Communication: Excellent levels of communication both verbal and written. You will be effective at managing relationships at both a store and head office level.
• Excellence: High level of finesse and excellence required in delivery of all tasks.
• Ambassador: Representing Manolo Blahnik products and values with passion, always acting as an ambassador of the house.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion:

Manolo Blahnik is an equal opportunity employer and are committed to preserving a caring, diverse and inclusive culture with people who feel a real sense of belonging. We recruit and reward based on capability and performance. By joining Manolo Blahnik, you will be part of our 50 to 500 Commitment to “be a force for good” which seeks to create a lasting legacy and positively contributing to its continued expansion and success balancing our impact on people and the planet. Our diverse and multicultural teams ignite our creativity, and we celebrate the differences that we collectively bring. We are committed to equal employment and progression opportunities and the elimination of any form of discrimination. We all hold a responsibility to recognise and respect our diversity and to support this in our words and actions.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.

Our Benefits:

• 4 pairs of Ambassador Shoes per year.
• 50% Friends and Family Discount.
• Pro Rata 33 days holiday
• Pension Contribution.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• 2 Executive Coaching Sessions per year.
• Enhanced Family Friendly Policy.
• Workplace Nursery – salary sacrifice based childcare scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Employment Engagement Calendar.