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- Tasks: Inspire and coach store teams to create stunning visual displays that reflect our brand.
- Company: Join River Island, a beloved brand with a bright future and diverse team.
- Benefits: Enjoy 50% staff discount, free gym, flexible working, and generous holiday options.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on our brand's identity while developing your skills in a creative environment.
- Qualifications: Strong communication skills and a passion for visual merchandising are essential.
- Other info: Opportunities for career progression and a supportive, inclusive workplace culture.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 42000 £ per year.
The Visual Display Merchandising Business Partner (VDMBP) plays a critical role in delivering River Island's brand identity through inspiring, commercially driven visual merchandising and great looking windows. The role focuses on coaching and training store teams, ensuring consistent visual standards, and enhancing team capability across the estate. Working closely with Area Managers and store leadership, the VDMBP ensures store-level priorities align with wider brand and business objectives. Support the VM Lead in delivering the department's operating plan and strategic visual goals, ensuring alignment with brand direction.
About Us: We're a much-loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do. Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions. This is what a career at River Island is like. And this is where yours starts.
What We Can Offer You:
- Generous 50% staff discount and a bargain staff shop on site.
- Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through Reward Gateway.
- A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & café to fill your needs and various social events throughout the year.
- Support for all family setups – enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment and dedicated support from the Retail Trust.
- Flexible working is a given, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.
- Give as you earn scheme, a 'Giver Island' day each year and receive matched funding.
- Support with upskilling through on-the-job training and qualifications, and a succession plan if you want to progress.
- A generous bonus scheme and private pension plan.
- 25 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays, with the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year.
Keeping You Safe: At River Island we are committed to the safeguarding of all of our employees regardless of age or job role. We will fulfil our obligation under the Prevent duty which seeks to stop extremism and extremist views from materialising in our business. We promote and encourage the belief in British Values – including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. Our Island is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.
Responsibilities:
- Coaching & Training: Coach, inspire, and upskill retail store teams to deliver high standards in windows, layouts, and visual merchandising with a clear commercial focus. Ensure basic visual merchandising principles are well understood and implemented clearly to drive consistency. Act as a partner to Area Managers and store leaders to set clear and agile visual priorities that reflect trading conditions and business focus. Build collaborative relationships across Retail to help drive visual capability and overall performance.
- Visual Merchandising Execution: Ensure consistent execution of visual standards across stores, adapting layouts to local needs while maintaining brand integrity. Champion the use of model stores to set up and share best practice. Ensure commercial awareness underpins all visual decision-making to support trading priorities and customer experience. Maintain a strong focus on creating a safe working environment in line with H&S standards.
- Display & Creative (In-store Installations): Deliver high-impact displays and window schemes aligned with seasonal direction, campaigns, and customer expectations. Implement all in-store visual installations effectively during store openings, refits, launches, and seasonal transitions. Take a hands-on approach to mannequin position & styling. Work alongside the central VM team on visual rollouts as & when required.
- Store Team Support & Visual Standards: Provide day-to-day VM support to store teams, ensuring visual expectations are understood and followed. Contribute to a culture of quality, pace, and attention to detail in all VM execution. Promote safe working practices in line with Health & Safety policies and visual operational standards. Strong communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills across all levels of retail & Head office leadership. Excellent coaching and mentoring abilities with a focus on capability building. Commercial awareness with the ability to link visual execution to trading outcomes. Agile thinker with strong prioritisation and problem-solving skills. Team player with a proactive, hands-on approach and a solution-oriented mindset. Comfortable delivering visual execution under tight deadlines during peak trading periods and store events. Commitment to promoting a safe and compliant working environment aligned with company H&S practices.
Visual Display Merchandiser Business Partner - Midlands in London employer: River Island
Contact Detail:
River Island Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Visual Display Merchandiser Business Partner - Midlands in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get chatting with people in the industry, attend events, and connect on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your best visual merchandising work. Bring it along to interviews or share it online. This is your chance to shine and demonstrate how you can elevate River Island's brand identity.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Prepare for interviews by rehearsing common questions and scenarios related to visual merchandising. Think about how you’d coach a team or adapt displays to local needs – this will show you’re ready for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, you’ll be one step closer to joining our diverse community of Islanders who are passionate about what they do.
We think you need these skills to ace Visual Display Merchandiser Business Partner - Midlands in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Visual Merchandising: When you're writing your application, let your love for visual merchandising shine through! Share specific examples of how you've created inspiring displays or coached teams in the past. We want to see your creativity and enthusiasm!
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to match the job description. Highlight your experience with coaching and training store teams, as well as your ability to maintain visual standards. This shows us that you understand what we're looking for!
Keep It Clear and Concise: While we love a good story, keep your application clear and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read. Remember, we’re looking for key skills and experiences that align with the role!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about River Island and our amazing culture!
How to prepare for a job interview at River Island
✨Know Your Visual Merchandising Basics
Before the interview, brush up on the fundamental principles of visual merchandising. Be ready to discuss how you can apply these principles to enhance River Island's brand identity and drive sales. Think about specific examples from your past experiences where you've successfully implemented these strategies.
✨Showcase Your Coaching Skills
As a VDMBP, you'll be coaching store teams. Prepare to share examples of how you've trained or inspired others in previous roles. Highlight your ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with diverse teams, as this will be crucial for success in the role.
✨Align with Brand Values
Familiarise yourself with River Island's brand values and culture. During the interview, demonstrate how your personal values align with theirs. Discuss how you can contribute to their commitment to equality and diversity, and how you would promote a safe working environment.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving and prioritisation skills. Think of situations where you've had to adapt visual displays under tight deadlines or changing trading conditions. Be ready to explain your thought process and the outcomes of your decisions.
