Outdoor Plants Manager - Stewarts Christchurch

Outdoor Plants Manager- Stewarts Christchurch

Are you passionate about outdoor plants, confident in your knowledge, and ready to take the next step into a leadership role? Look no further! We’re looking for an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Manager to lead our Outdoor Plants department at our Christchurch Garden Centre.

Responsibilities

• Deliver exceptional customer service by engaging with customers, understanding their needs and confidently recommending suitable trees, shrubs, perennials, climbers, roses, bedding plants and seasonal plants.
• Provide expert advice on plant selection, planting, pruning, watering, feeding, pest and disease management and ongoing plant care.
• Create inspiring, well-merchandised displays that showcase seasonal colour, encourage customer confidence and maximise sales.
• Ensure the Outdoor Plants department is visually outstanding, well-stocked, clean and easy to shop at all times.
• Maintain excellent standards of plant quality through effective watering, feeding, deadheading, pruning, rotation and general plant husbandry.
• Monitor plant health, identifying pests, diseases and nutritional issues promptly and taking appropriate action.
• Work closely with the Buyers to ensure the department offers the right range of quality plants for the season, maintaining consistency in product, pricing and presentation.
• Identify opportunities to increase sales through cross-merchandising, seasonal promotions and complementary products.
• Manage stock levels, minimise wastage and ensure excellent stock rotation.
• Organise and manage stocktakes, stock turn, markdowns and stock accuracy.
• Plan and implement seasonal layout changes and merchandising plans to keep the department fresh and inspiring throughout the year.
• Recruit, support and develop members of the Outdoor Plants team, creating a positive and knowledgeable working environment.
• Coach colleagues by sharing horticultural knowledge and encouraging excellent customer service standards.
• Manage the day-to-day operation of the department, ensuring resources are effectively deployed to meet customer demand.
• Maintain fixtures, benches, irrigation systems, equipment and display materials to a high standard.
• Authorise and process invoices efficiently.
• Support the successful delivery of centre events, seasonal promotions and plant demonstrations where appropriate.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety procedures and safe manual handling practices.
• Act as Duty Manager and key holder for the business on a rota basis.

What You'll Need

• Extensive horticultural knowledge with the confidence to advise customers on a wide range of outdoor plants.
• Previous experience working in a garden centre, nursery or similar horticultural environment.
• A genuine passion for plants and delivering an exceptional customer experience.
• The ability to create inspiring retail displays that encourage customers to buy and return.
• Strong commercial awareness with an understanding of seasonal trends and opportunities to maximise sales.
• A proactive approach to maintaining high standards of plant quality and presentation.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise a varied workload.
• Experience leading or supervising a team would be advantageous, although support and coaching can be provided to develop management skills.
• A flexible approach to working weekends, bank holidays and busy seasonal trading periods.

What It’s Like Working At Stewarts

• A friendly supportive team.
• A family‑run business with strong values and heritage.
• A varied and active role.
• Opportunities to grow and develop.

Benefits

• Generous staff discount scheme (following probationary period).
• Free on‑site parking and uniform.
• Additional day off to celebrate your birthday!

The Practical Details

Contract Type: Permanent – Full time (40 hours per week including alternative weekends)

Location: Stewarts Christchurch Garden Centre, Lyndhurst Road, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4SA

Reports to: Garden Centre Manager

Please Note: This is a physically active role involving regular heavy lifting.