Head of Retail in London

About the Role: TALA, known for activewear that keeps up with busy lifestyles, has been on a rocket ship since its founding in 2019 by entrepreneur Grace Beverley. Built on largely organic socials, today we are a digital‑first, multichannel women’s athleisure brand with a multi‑faceted growth and retention strategy, trading on impressive numbers. TALA recently opened a 2,000‑square‑foot, double‑fronted Store on London’s iconic Carnaby Street as part of our ambitious growth strategy, backed by a recent funding round.

We are looking for an exceptional Head of Retail to lead TALA’s physical retail business through its most exciting phase of growth, reporting to the Commercial Director. This is a senior commercial leadership role, one that demands a customer focused sales‑first mindset, strong operational instincts and the ability to inspire and develop teams across a growing store network. You will own the commercial performance of every TALA store, set the retail strategy, build the Retail Playbook and lead the delivery of our new openings. This is a role for someone who is energised by being close to store teams and driving results whilst also having the strategic capability to shape how TALA’s retail business scales.

Tasks

• Commercial Performance & Leadership
  • Own and drive commercial performance across all TALA retail locations, with full accountability for sales, revenue, conversion, AOV, UPT, and profitability.
  • Build a culture where commercial awareness and genuine customer connections are consistently delivered to the highest standard.
  • Analyse store trading data, footfall trends, stock performance and local market dynamics to identify opportunities and take action.
  • Partner with the Commercial Director and HQ teams to set retail budgets, targets and trading plans and to ensure stores are set up to maximise revenue.
  • Lead the retail team through peak periods, launches and key trading moments with clear planning, communication, and commercial focus.
• Retail Strategy & Playbook
  • Develop and own TALA’s Retail Strategy, defining how the brand shows up in physical retail today and how it scales over the next three to five years.
  • Build and implement the TALA Retail Playbook: the definitive guide to how TALA’s stores operate, serve customers, manage stock and deliver on brand.
  • Continuously review and refine ways of working, identifying opportunities to simplify and improve.
• New Store Openings
  • Lead all pre‑opening activity including recruitment, onboarding, training, stock readiness, consumables and operational setup.
  • Ensure each new store opens to a high standard with clear ownership, strong team engagement and full alignment to TALA’s brand and commercial expectations.
  • Manage post‑opening stabilisation, embedding the Playbook and ensuring consistent execution from day one.
• Team Leadership, Culture & Development
  • Lead, inspire and develop the retail team – including management of a Retail Operations Manager, Store Managers and their teams.
  • Build a culture of accountability, commercial ownership and pride in the brand across every store.
  • Establish clear leadership rhythms: regular store visits, structured performance reviews, coaching conversations and succession planning.
  • Support recruitment, onboarding and development of exceptional retail talent, ensuring TALA attracts and retains the right people as it grows.
• Customer Experience & Brand Delivery
  • Champion a best‑in‑class customer experience across every location, ensuring every interaction reflects TALA’s values, tone of voice and community spirit.
  • Use customer insight, team feedback and in‑store observation to continuously improve the in‑store experience.
  • Ensure visual merchandising is delivered on time and to a high standard, with stores executing launches and campaigns consistently.
  • Provide clear commercial and customer feedback to HQ on product performance, sizing, availability and demand trends.
• Operations & Compliance
  • Oversee operational standards across all stores, ensuring they run smoothly, efficiently, and compliantly.
  • Partner with Merchandising and Logistics to manage stock allocation, replenishment whilst identifying and unlocking commercial opportunities.
  • Ensure all stores meet the highest standards of health & safety, security, risk management, and compliance.
  • Act as the conduit between stores and HQ – ensuring clear, timely and two‑way communication across the business.

Requirements

• A senior retail leader with a proven track record of driving commercial performance across a multi‑site estate.
• Commercial and community‑driven mindset – someone who creates a selling culture by putting the customer at the centre of everything the team does.
• Strong operational experience – capable of building playbooks, creating scalable processes, and getting into the detail when it matters.
• Demonstrable experience leading new store openings from pre‑opening logistics through to post‑opening stabilisation.
• An inspiring people leader who can build culture, develop talent, and drive accountability across a growing team.
• Sharp analytical skills – comfortable with retail data, KPIs, P&L, and using insight to make commercial decisions quickly.
• Excellent communicator and influencer – equally at home with store teams on the shop floor and senior stakeholders in the boardroom.
• HQ based but comfortable spending time across all stores, with the flexibility to travel nationally and support openings and key trading periods.
• A genuine passion for TALA, our community, and what great physical retail can be.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday a year plus bank holidays
• Very generous employee discount after probation period
• Nominated Friends & Family Discount
• Clothing allowance spending gift
• Class Pass or Gym Flex membership
• Health Shield
• Enhanced maternity/paternity pay
• Charity fundraising match of up to £1,000