JOBS

Original Distribution Ltd is a Company that was established in 2013 as a wholesale distributor of outdoor apparel and equipment based in Swansea, Wales. Hiatus Store has evolved to become the retail fascia of the Company.

Hiatus was established in 2020 and is an independent store based in Swansea with a focus on retail for the conscious consumer. Our ethos begins with environmental & ethical awareness’s, from the energy used in the business, to the product offerings we carefully curate in store & online. Hiatus’s main product focal point is based around an enthusiasm towards a responsible outdoor & coastal lifestyle, and the equipment, apparel and daily essentials necessary to coincide. Hiatus was started with community in mind, and we want to continue to build on this, offering a rewarding and exciting place to work and develop in.

https://hiatus-store.com

Attributes of the applicant

Required

• A passion for surf & the outdoors.
• Previous successful retail experience (in store).
• A high level of customer service skills.
• Ability to lead by example.
• People management skills (team leader level).
• Evident organisational skills.
• Desire to be a part of an exciting developing business.
• Motivation to learn new skills.
• An eye for detail.
• Social Media management knowledge or a motivation to learn.
• Self-motivated and able to use initiative.
• Happy to work alone from time to time.
• We are a small business and for any small business to succeed everyone must be happy to take on a task they might not ordinarily complete. Everyone within the business must be open and happy to do this in order to support the team.
• Have the right to work in the UK.

 Desired (but not essential)

• Merchandising skills.
• Shopify knowledge.
• A creative flare.
• Event experience.
• B2B communication experience

 Roles and Responsibilities

 The Store Manager role is integral to the future direction and growth of Original Distribution Ltd.’s retail business by overseeing the day-to-day operations and productivity of retail avenues, stores and e-commerce platform.

• Customer Service – Ensuring a high level of customer service is maintained throughout the team whether this is in store or online. Address any issues and organise any additional training for those members of staff who may need help in this area.
• Product Knowledge – Ensure all product attributes and information is available for the team in a centralised location. Encourage staff to learn about the product so they can provide the best information to the customer and increase sales.
• Organisational Skills – Be organised, communicative and transparent to management and all team members where appropriate. Take the time to update your knowledge on any organisational tools used by the company (for example, Bright HR) and pass important knowledge on to the team. If any area of organisation is lacking, innovate and suggest solutions.
• Retail performance - Tracking and reviewing retail sales, pricing structures, merchandising and support on buying* (pre order & replenishment buying) on a weekly, monthly & seasonal basis.
• Overseeing employee’s (with management support where/when required) - Organising staff rota, tasking & monitoring staff with objectives, tracking annual leave (using Bright HR) and identifying & training new staff (where/when required).
• Stock management - Monitoring shop floor & e-commerce stock levels including daily replenishment and stock transfers. Purchasing top up and clearance stock on best-selling styles.
• Support on buying - will be a part of the role. Management will invite you to attend key buying appointments on brand purchasing, both current and prospected brands. We will expect you to play a key role in sourcing and adopting new products, brands and categories for the business whilst tracking current trends.
• Merchandising - Identifying & communicating key product/brand stories at key time-windows to create and optimise consumer demand. Product presentations, merchandising and rotation are to be coherently coordinated between the store floor displays, store window displays and e-commerce with the goal of inspiring regular consumer engagement and to hold a consistent retail story across all commerce avenues at the same time.
• Product performances - Analysing and identify best product lines/brands (To be reviewed on a weekly basis with support/training on reporting from management) to arrange stock replenishment and stock cuts where/when necessary. It will also be necessary to identify poor product/brand performances that may have issues and require addressing. Lastly, to target prospect product lines/brands that will be relevant to the future of the retail business.
• Support on website admin - Product creation, merchandising, price changes.
• Anticipate and plan around key retail calendar events to maximise consumer engagement, convenience & sales - Identifying annual calendar events that will be relevant to our retail business and curate a retail plan around those targeted events. For example, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc…
• Working towards meeting financial goals set by management – These goals will be discussed and set together to motivate employees. They will be realistic, and performance will be rewarded.
• Social Media - Social media content generation in line with all key retail calendar events, product launches, in store and online events and general upkeep of the social media channels in order to maintain and encourage engagement. Monitoring insights on channels and making suggestions based on these insights.

We are willing to invest in a work-based training program which will support professional growth for the role and lead to progression within yourself and the business. The below links relate to work-based programs on offer in South Wales for IT, Retail, Sales and Management.

https://www.gcs.ac.uk/Employers

https://www.gcstraining.co.uk/qualifications/ILM

Job Location and Working hours.

Location
Swansea, with some travel within the UK and potentially in Europe as the role develops.

Hours
35 to 37.5 hours per week (75% shop floor and 25% administration)

Alternative weekends – there will be some stipulations with regards to traditionally busy times in retail.

The successful candidate may be asked to work extra hours at certain times of the year depending on buying cycles.

Remuneration
Incentivised bonus structure based on retail revenue targets

How to apply
Please send your updated CV and cover letter to Suzanne@OriginalDist.com by 8pm October 25^th 2023.

Process
All suitable candidates will be contacted for interview.
Two interviews per candidate will take place.
References will be contacted in due process.