At a Glance
- Tasks: Create stunning showroom displays that inspire customers and boost sales.
- Company: Join a leading retail brand focused on creativity and customer experience.
- Benefits: Enjoy 33 days holiday, discounts, career progression, and a company car.
- Other info: Travel across locations and collaborate with diverse teams for exciting projects.
- Why this job: Make an impact by transforming spaces and enhancing customer experiences.
- Qualifications: Experience in visual merchandising and a flair for interior styling required.
The predicted salary is between 33000 - 38000 £ per year.
Visual Merchandiser
Department
Retail Operations
Employment Type
Full Time
Location
Sunderland - Customer Support Centre
Reporting To
Merchandise & Buying Operations Manager
Compensation
Description
We're looking for a creative and commercially minded Visual Merchandiser to help create beautiful, inspiring showroom environments that encourage customers to imagine our furniture in their own homes.
Working across our retail estate, The Visual Merchandiser is responsible for creating inspiring, commercially effective showroom environments that enhance the customer experience, strengthen the brand, and maximise sales opportunities across multiple retail stores.
The role ensures all displays showcase our sofas and accessories in a way that reflects current trends, seasonal campaigns, and the company's visual merchandising standards.
Working closely with Retail Operations, Buying, Marketing, and Store Management teams, the Visual Merchandiser ensures consistency of presentation while adapting layouts to suit individual store formats and local customer demographics.
This role requires regular travel across all company locations.
What does the role involve?
- Ensure showroom displays reflect the company's brand standards and customer proposition.
- Maintain exceptional visual standards across all parts of the showrooms.
- Optimise showroom layouts to improve customer flow and maximise sales opportunities.
- Implement new store layouts, refurbishments, relocations, and display updates.
- Review store layouts regularly and recommend improvements based on customer behaviour and commercial performance.
- Implement promotional displays in line with marketing activity and product launches.
- Ensure POS materials, signage, graphics, and promotional messaging are correctly installed and maintained.
- Use sales performance and customer insights to inform merchandising decisions.
- Work alongside Merchandise and Retail teams to identify opportunities to improve product visibility.
- Balance creative presentation with commercial objectives.
- Support stores in achieving sales targets through effective product presentation.
- Conduct visual merchandising audits and provide constructive feedback to store teams.
- Produce action plans to improve presentation where required.
- Ensure consistency across all retail locations while recognising store-specific requirements.
- Train store colleagues on visual merchandising principles and company standards.
- Develop easy-to-follow merchandising guides for store teams.
- Coach Managers in maintaining high presentation standards between visits.
Who are we looking for?
- Previous experience in visual merchandising within retail.
- Strong eye for interior styling, colour, layout, and presentation.
- Experience merchandising large furniture or homeware products.
- Excellent organisational and planning skills.
- Commercial awareness with an understanding of retail sales drivers.
- Ability to interpret floor plans and merchandising guidelines.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to work independently across multiple sites.
- Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel extensively.
- Experience within furniture, home furnishings, or lifestyle retail.
- Knowledge of space planning software.
- Project management experience.
- Experience supporting new store openings or refurbishments.
- Qualification in Visual Merchandising, Interior Design, Retail Design, or a related discipline.
What’s in it for you?
- 33 days holidays including bank holidays
- Company Car
- Employee benefits platform – access to 100s of high street discounts and more – holiday discounts, gym discounts, cinema discounts, e-vouchers, cashback and more!
- Colleague Discount
- Career progression
- Long service awards
- Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave
- Access to our dedicated Employee Assistance Programme – to give you free access to advice and information on a range of topics
- Virtual GP – Access to a GP service 24/7
- Salary finance scheme
- Pension Scheme
- Death in Service
- Life assurance
- INDMP
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Visual Merchandiser employer: Poltronesofà S.p.A.
Poltronesofà S.p.A. is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture in York where you can lead and inspire a passionate retail team. With competitive salaries, generous benefits like a car allowance and 33 days of holiday, as well as clear pathways for career progression, this role provides a meaningful opportunity to grow while delivering outstanding customer experiences.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Visual Merchandiser
✨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 Poltronesofà S.p.A., 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 Poltronesofà S.p.A.!
We think you need these skills to ace Visual Merchandiser
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 Poltronesofà S.p.A., 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 Poltronesofà S.p.A. 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 Poltronesofà S.p.A. that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Poltronesofà S.p.A.
✨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!
