Womens Footwear
London W1
Position Summary
Brand Manager for the Womens Footwear Floor for a high profile leading young fashion retailer based at their flagship store in central London. Reporting into the Flagship Store Manager, the Brand Manager will manage a team of up to 25 across the various fashion footwear concessions and own brand footwear with an annual turnover of £17m.
We are looking for a motivated passionate Brand Manager, Store Manager or Floor Manager with a solid track record in womens high street fashion footwear. The ideal applicant must be experienced in managing a large team and turnover.
Main responsibilities
Management of People
- To support the Store Manager and Area Manager in maximising sales and profit and to deliver a World Class shopping environment through a World Class Team
- Challenge, stretch and motivate store sales team to deliver in all areas of the store.
- Coach and develop Deputy Brand Managers on Commercial issues such as understanding of financial data, use of company and in store reports and protection of profit.
- With support from the Store Manager set payroll targets and ensure departments are appropriately staffed and payroll costs are managed.
- Deputy Brand Manager recruitment, appraisal, development and succession planning.
- Overseas recruitment activity for the store sales team in a timely cost effective manner.
- Identify and address training and development needs of the management team ensuring that L&D needs are met at all levels.
- Identify and address performance issues in line with company policy, ensuring the team is recognised for good performance and that poor performance is addressed.
- Ensure communication is a priority within store and the department is involved and engaged.
- Build key relationships with business stakeholders in store and head office departments.
- Act as role model ensuring the department consistently delivers exemplary customer service.
- Drive personal development goals, actively seeking and participating in a variety of development opportunities.
- Aware of own image and impact and how others view them.
Management of Store Operations and Service
- Conduct regular floor walks with the senior management team to ensure layout is commercial and that excellent retail standards are maintained.
- Ensure promotions/layout changes are actioned to a high standard in line with guidelines.
- Duty management in store.
- Translate overall store strategy into department strategy. Attend all department and store meetings to ensure key information is cascaded throughout department.
- Develop full understanding of the local market place through competitive shops and external research to aid commercial decision making.
- Feedback to the Store Manager (and senior management team) on trade performance/ issues etc and make recommendations as appropriate.
- Ensure company and store processes aimed at protecting profit are in place and adhered to.
- Challenge operational efficiency; scheduling, replenishment, sort rooms and retail standards.
- Drive consistency and productivity across the department.
- Manage concession business relationships and feedback issues to Store Manager.
Customer Service
- Drive service culture in store by acting as a role model at all times and by seeing the service angle in all tasks.
- Ensure standards of service are World Class and consistently maintained.
- Challenge activities and initiatives if they believe they impact on customer service.
Management of In-House Brand
- Ensure full understanding of Brand Strategy and visual requirements ensuring operational factors and visual excellence are both facilitated.
- Work with specialist brand teams (i.e. visual/ creative) to fulfil brand requirements.
- Develop constructive relationships with Head Office contacts to support delivery of the brand in store, challenge them in order to move the brands on. Feedback to Store Manager.
- Support and participate in special events aimed at developing the brands within market place e.g. Student Shop Marketing events.
- Ensure Personal Shopping services are promoted within store.
Essential Skills
- The ideal applicant will be a Brand Manager, Store Manager or Floor Manager with womens high street fashion FOOTWEAR experience.
- A Champion and ambassador for the Brands and Customers.
- A real understanding of retail and fashion market.
- Strong Commercial acumen.
- Ability to understand/interpret financial data.
- Highly developed management skills.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to influence at all levels and build positive relationships with others.
- Confident and assertive.
- Ability to work under pressure and deal with changing priorities.
Please note: Only successful applicants will be notified.