Head of Retail - Luxury Retail

Our client is a well-known and respected Luxury retail business ( Family and Children ) which has been operating for over 30 years. They remain a family-owned business with five London stores, a website, and concessions. Committed to making childhood memories, they offer a fun shopping experience for all generations, blending adventure, imagination, and excellent customer service.

They are currently looking for a Head of Retail for a 12-14 month Maternity Cover

JOB PURPOSE:
Manage and drive the success of our physical stores and our partners through our existing estate and thorough the development of new opportunities. To develop and manage the commercial and operational strategies to maximise sales and brand exposure. Work closely with cross-functional teams to develop and execute innovative initiatives, ensuring a seamless customer experience across all physical touchpoints. To drive and manage the Company project plan ensuring these are on time and delivering the desired benefits to the business.
REPORTING TO:
The CEO

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MEASURES:
Develop and implement the commercial and operational strategies for our physical stores and partners, to drive footfall, increase sales and enhance brand awareness.
Lead the planning, implementation, and evaluation of all in store campaigns, including events, and partnerships, to target specific customer segments and drive customer engagement.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure effective in-store visual merchandising, product placement, and customer experience that align with their brand guidelines and objectives.
Oversee store and partner operations, including inventory management, stock replenishment, staff recruitment, development, training, and performance management , to optimise sales and customer satisfaction.
To challenge, review and exploit the operational efficiencies within the retail business.
Maximise profitability through control of staff and other costs against budget.
Lead and manage various projects, including improvement initiatives, ensuring timely and successful project delivery.
Ensure stores are maintained in good repair and are safe.
Monitor and analyse key KPI’s related to store operations and sales to drive continuous improvement.
Collaborate closely with the Head of Digital and the Head of Brand Marketing and Content to ensure cohesive and integrated marketing strategies and initiatives across all channels.
Manage and work with customer services to overcome any issues and to ensure customer services are utilising all technology to ensure a seamless customer experience.
Manage relationships with external partners to ensure effective execution of projects and commercial opportunities.
Interpret internal and external sources of data and customer insight to deliver plans.
Collaborate with internal teams to develop and execute a comprehensive content strategy that aligns with our brand objectives and resonates with our target audience both in the UK and overseas.
Work closely with all stakeholders to ensure all projects and initiatives align with the overall objectives.
Continually ensure personal behaviour reflects the vision and values of the business
Deliver accurate product and category information relating to product and project requirements in a timely manner to teams
Proactively use data and insight to drive actions and decisions.
Assist with the creation and development of budgets and forecasts.

KEY MEASURES/KPI's:
Sales revenue: Measure the total revenue generated from physical stores, partners and Treatwell against plan.
Maximise profitability and investigate variances.
Customer footfall: Track the footfall numbers to assess store traffic and customer engagement.
Customer retention: Grow the customer base by in-store experiences and customer rewards.
Conversion rate: Monitored average spend.
Stock Management: Measure the stock replenishment to ensure efficient stock management i.e. RTW’s.
Project timelines and budgets: Manage and monitor the success of projects within predefined timelines and budgets.

KEY SKILLS:
A passion for retail and customer-centric approach to store operations and project management.
Ability to demonstrate commercial acumen.
Strong understanding of traditional selling channels, store operations, visual merchandising, and customer experience best practices.
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute effective and creative commercial strategies and drive footfall, increase sales, and enhance brand awareness.
Proficiency in project management, with a track record of delivering projects successfully, on time and within budget.
Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire cross functional teams.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and metrics to make informed decisions and drive improvements.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively convey ideas and influence stakeholders at all levels.
Strategic mindset and ability to think creatively to solve problems and drive innovation.
Positive and self-motivated mind set
Self-starter