At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the Christmas and Outdoor Leisure departments, driving sales and managing performance.
- Company: Join a high-performing garden centre known for excellent customer service and retail standards.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, staff discounts, paid holidays, and career development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact during peak seasons while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in retail management with a focus on seasonal trading is preferred.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with strong growth potential and a supportive team.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We are recruiting a Christmas & Outdoor Leisure Department Manager for a high-performing garden centre located in the North West, within easy reach of major towns and transport links. This is an urgent hire for a busy site with strong footfall and significant commercial opportunity.
The centre forms part of a successful and fast-growing Garden Centre Group, recognised for its high retail standards, customer service, and commitment to developing its management teams.
About the Role
This is a highly seasonal and commercially focused management role. For approximately 7 months of the year, you will lead the Outdoor Leisure department, covering furniture, BBQs, patio heating, and associated categories. The remaining 5 months will be dedicated to the Christmas department, where visual merchandising, space planning, and peak-season trading are critical.
You will have full ownership of department performance, balancing creative visual impact with strong commercial and P&L accountability, ensuring sales, margin, and stock are maximised during key trading periods.
Key Responsibilities
- Full management of the Outdoor Leisure and Christmas departments
- Driving sales, margin, and profit through effective commercial decision-making
- Ownership of departmental P&L, budgets, and performance reporting
- Forecasting sales, managing stock intake, and controlling inventory levels
- Delivering high-impact visual merchandising that drives customer engagement
- Leading, training, and motivating the team to maintain excellent retail standards
- Ensuring exceptional customer service during both peak and non-peak seasons
- Maintaining strong retail discipline, stock control, and operational efficiency
The Ideal Candidate
- Proven experience in a fast-paced retail environment, ideally with strong seasonal trading
- Garden centre experience is desirable but not essential
- Demonstrable experience managing departments with seasonality and peak trading cycles
- Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing sales, margin, and P&L
- Passionate about visual merchandising, space planning, and high retail standards
- Confident, hands-on leader with the ability to develop and motivate teams
- Comfortable using retail systems, data, and KPIs to drive performance
Perks & Benefits
- Competitive salary (dependent on experience)
- Staff discount
- Paid holidays
- Pension scheme
- Career development opportunities within a growing group
- Free on-site parking
Interested? Send your CV today, or for more information, contact Leo.
Christmas & Outdoor Leisure Department Manager in Chester employer: MOrePeople
Contact Detail:
MOrePeople Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Christmas & Outdoor Leisure Department Manager in Chester
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research their values, products, and recent news. This will help you tailor your approach and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees on LinkedIn. A friendly chat can give you insider info and might even lead to a referral, which is always a bonus!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by practising common questions and scenarios related to retail management. Think about how you’d handle seasonal challenges and demonstrate your commercial acumen.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team at this fantastic garden centre.
We think you need these skills to ace Christmas & Outdoor Leisure Department Manager in Chester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experience that match the Christmas & Outdoor Leisure Department Manager role. Highlight your retail experience, especially in seasonal trading, and any relevant achievements that showcase your commercial acumen.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you the perfect fit. Don’t forget to mention your leadership style and how you motivate teams to achieve high retail standards.
Showcase Your Visual Merchandising Skills: Since visual merchandising is key for this position, include examples of how you've successfully implemented impactful displays in previous roles. This will demonstrate your creativity and understanding of customer engagement.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother application process. It’s straightforward – just scroll down and click on 'Apply'. We can’t wait to see your application!
How to prepare for a job interview at MOrePeople
✨Know Your Seasonal Trends
Make sure you’re clued up on the seasonal trends in outdoor leisure and Christmas retail. Research what products are popular during peak seasons and be ready to discuss how you can drive sales in these areas.
✨Showcase Your Visual Merchandising Skills
Prepare to talk about your experience with visual merchandising. Bring examples of past displays you've created or managed, and explain how they impacted sales and customer engagement.
✨Demonstrate Your Leadership Style
Be ready to share your approach to leading and motivating a team. Think of specific instances where you’ve successfully trained staff or improved team performance, especially during busy trading periods.
✨Understand P&L Management
Brush up on your knowledge of P&L statements and how to manage budgets effectively. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve used financial data to make commercial decisions that positively impacted department performance.