International Fashion Brand setting sites on the US is looking for an experienced Director of Retail to oversee launch and expansion of brick-and-mortar stores. In this role you will oversee store performance, manage P&L, implement visual merchandising strategies, and develop your team to ensure the consistent growth and success of the brand.
YEARLY STRATEGY
· Develop and implement financial budgets and KPI targets for your stores, creating actionable plans to achieve them.
· Collaborate with senior management to execute the expansion plan and identify growth opportunities within your region.
· Work closely with the VP of Retail to ensure employee retention and development, creating career and training plans for all staff.
· Implement and follow up on weekly, monthly, half-yearly, and yearly objectives and plans to drive performance.
P&L PERFORMANCE
· Create and manage the financial budget for your stores, ensuring alignment with company goals.
· Handle the investment budget for store maintenance, renovations, and other necessary investments.
· Regularly analyze monthly performance, making adjustments to sales, costs, and margins to maximize profitability.
EXPANSION
· Collaborate with senior management to identify new opportunities for store openings, gathering all necessary data such as location, store size, and expected turnover.
· Prepare investment forecasts and business cases for new stores, presenting them to senior management for approval.
· Coordinate site surveys to ensure all agreements are in place before finalizing investment forecasts.
IMPLEMENTATION
· Work closely with HQ to ensure yearly strategies are executed successfully across all stores.
· Develop and implement visual merchandising and product strategies, ensuring alignment with the marketing plan and customer journey.
· Drive sales optimization by ensuring product assortments and buying strategies are tailored to customer needs.
· Oversee the implementation of digital solutions and marketing initiatives to support the business plan.
ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT
· Ensure all employees have updated functional job descriptions, clearly defining their roles and expectations.
· Lead the recruitment, development, and retention of talent within your stores, ensuring staff has clear career progression plans.
· Oversee the onboarding program to ensure that new employees receive comprehensive training and integration into the company culture.
· Ensure that both you and your team have fundamental knowledge in key areas such as service, product knowledge, visual merchandising, and digital solutions.
Requirements:
- 2-3 years' experience, in a senior capacity as either a Regional Director, Area Director, or Director of Retail. Apparel a must! (menswear preferred)
- 1-3 years' experience working with site selections and lease negotiations
- Must have expansion/ store opening experience
- Proven ability to lead teams to exceed sales and performance targets.
- Strong leadership and communication skills, with a passion for developing staff.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to motivate your team and drive high standards of service and performance.
- A passion for fashion and a deep understanding of visual merchandising.
- Ability to travel 50% of time
