Shop Manager

Job description / Role

The job holder of this position is responsible for maximizing the commercial performance of the retail store and deliver exceptional Guest Experience. The job holder is also responsible for establishing a bridge between back-office and the store under their supervision. The Store Manager is mandated to conduct continuous audits and implement corrective solutions and actions.

Key Responsibilities:

Organizational:
- Follow all relevant Retail policies, processes and standard operating procedures so that work is carried out in a controlled and consistent manner

Operational:
- Follow the day-to-day activities related to own job with minimal supervision to ensure continuity of work
- Follow-up on escalated cases /issues/questions of team members to ensure they are closed efficiently and in a timely manner Guest Experience Focus:
- Train and coach shop floor employees in customer service excellence and verify training are provided
- Ensure that customer service is executed in store as per Group's guidelines
- Ensure improvement of SOAR results as per targets Ensure that staff grooming and uniforms are as per standards in stores
- Execute remedial action plan received from Area Manager following mystery shopping results
- Handle customer complaints and solve them appropriately
- Ensure that all complaints are immediately and properly recorded and reviewed the same day with Area Manager
- Propose temporary loan for VVIP and ensure proper handling Customer Loyalty:
- Request inclusion of VIP customer in database
- Ensure that identification of transactions is done
- Check that all transactions above average have been linked to customer names
- Distribute targets by segments of key customers to sales executives through their individual line targets (development of average and total value of purchase, increase of product mix) and monitor performance vs. targets
- Keep a portion of this target for herself / himself
- Put in place a plan of contacts of customers for the store, review them with Area Manager during visits and ensure execution
- Provide insights on the use of the database of key customers for CRM campaigns to the Area Manager to be communicated to marketing Gross Margin Achievement:
- Ensure monthly execution of top line and gross margin targets & individual contribution
- Provide insights to Area Manager to prepare his monthly detailed feedback on store top line achievements
- Propose individual line targets of sales executives focusing on manageable and simple drivers chosen from the menu set by RSM, taking into account the specificities of the store and aligned on budget targets to Area Managers
- Put in place actions to improve performance of underperforming sales executives and discuss these actions with concerned staff
- Motivate sales executives and align them on store objectives by performing daily brief on store performance on various metrics (sales, customer service, etc..)
- Ensure that discounts in stores are executed as per Group's policy and properly escalated whenever required Budget Management:
- Help Area Manager preparing her/his reports to RSM on top line assumptions
- Provide relevant qualitative feedbacks to Area Manager to prepare her/his report on store top line budget to RSM (e.g. performance of brand, category, SKU and detailed information on historical sales and store customers) Network Changes:
- Execute merchandising of future store Build-up operations in new stores based on action plan of Area Manager during the first 6 months (e.g. staff training, smooth back-store operations, built-up monthly target setting and assessment, customer base acquisition)
- Provide insights for remedial action plan for underperforming store
- Execute the remedial plan for underperforming store Product Coaching:
- Ensure in-store product training for sales executives
- Coach sales executives on products and ensure alignment with instructions from Area Managers and Backoffice
- Coach sales executives on new products/new season collection
- Provide qualitative comments to be incorporated to reports on product performance to Area Managers during pre-buying sessions, post-buying sessions, replenishment and product launch period

Store Operations:
- Ensure adequate staffing of stores at all time
- Perform roster and ensure that stores have adequate number of staff at all time
- Escalate immediately issues of staffing to Area Manager, especially through daily SORT
- Propose rebalancing of staff between stores to improve overall performance of stores
- Release staff as instructed by Area Manager
- Perform compensation schedule ensuring fairness among sales executives
- Ensure execution of store operations as per Group's guidelines
- Ensure that SORT escalates all issues and needs of store
- Ensure that SORT is sent on time to Retail Operations Specialist and Area Manager
- Provide clear explanations on back-store operations during SOAR review with Area Manager and address immediately issues raised
- Provide clear answers and explanations on back-store operations to Retail Operations specialist (and team) during bi-monthly SOAR visits and address immediately issues raised
- Ensure adherence to Store manual by executing immediately and properly the monthly action plan communicated by Area Manager
- Ensure that various logs and operational dashboards are updated (manual invoices, store operations dashboards) and transmitted on time to Retail Operations

Specialist Sales Operations:
- Ensure execution of rare operations
- Ensure that returns or exchange from customers are handled as per SOP
- Escalate to Area Manager customer requests for cash refund
- Ensure that discounts to VIP, staff or special discounts to customers are executed as per SOP and check that no abuse is committed in terms of discounts
- Ensure proper handling of layaways
- Responsible for store to store transfers requested by customer
- In case of good requested by customer missing in store, contact other store managers for transfers
- Escalate any issue to execute transfers to Area Manager in due time
- Follow-up on receipts of goods
- Responsible of handling special orders
- Ensure that special orders are handled as per SOP
- Follow-up on reception of special orders with back office
- Monitor the execution of sales-related transactions in POS/ SIMS systems
- Monitor that operations on POS/SIM are properly executed by shop floor employees
- Ensure that shop floor employees are correctly trained and coached (especially new comers)
- Approve Manual Sales Invoices as conformed to SOP
- Assign one staff to close POS at end of day and monitor proper execution

Back-store Operations:
- Monitor proper execution of non-sales related transactions in POS / SIMS systems
- Monitor that POS opening/closing is always properly performed
- Monitor proper posting in log of any IT incident
- Monitor that invoices are posted in system after resolution of MSI issues
- Act as a super user and coach rest of shop floor employees on system procedures and operations, especially new employees, along with staff assigned to back-store operations
- Monitor proper storage of logs and files on store activities
- Monitor that all logs (hard and soft format) are properly maintained and store documents are properly stored
- Liaise with Store Operations Specialist on storage of logs and files, as well as proper archiving of documents
- Monitor all reconciliations activities are performed correctly (systems, documents, cash handling) and documents sent to Accounts
- Monitor that needs of store for maintenance operations and supplies requests are raised
- Monitor that supplies requests for store (e.g. groceries, stationaries) are raised and follow up with Retail Operations specialist
- Follow up with Retail Operations specialist for all maintenance services Monitor that quality of intervention from maintenance service provider is captured in store maintenance log
- Monitor that needs for permits and authorization from authorities (in particular malls) are raised
- Ensure authorizations or permits required prior to events are obtained on time
- Liaise with store Operations specialist to facilitate solution in case of issue
- Monitor that inventory management operations in stores are properly executed
- Monitor that reserved items in back-store are recorded in system
- Monitor that receipts of goods in store (e.g. with usage of HHT) are properly executed and escalate issue to Retail Operations specialist and Area Manager
- Monitor that stock transfers from stores are executed as per Back-office requirements (rebalancing) or customer requests
- Ensure that temporary stock loans are properly executed (system and physical segregation, return adjustments)
- Monitor that all damages in stores are addressed as per SOP and follow-up resolution (system and physical segregation, adjustments, disposal)
- Ensure proper conditions for stock counting
- Monitor that VM material of previous events seating in back-store is disposed of quickly Assortment, Visual Merchandising and Marketing:
- Execute VM activities in store
- Receive VM in store and organize adequate conditions in store for a smooth execution as per planning
- Escalate issues related to execution of VM calendar to Area Manager
- Execute Marketing activities in store
- Ensure smooth preparation and execution of marketing activities in the store or in the mall under the coordination of Area Manager
- Responsible of the execution of the assortment of the store
- Ensure that assortment in the store is executed as per Brand's and merchandise team's guidelines
- Escalate issues on assortment Store Inventory Control:
- Responsible of stock variance in own store
- Validate list of items proposed by dedicated back-store staff
- Ensure that all verifications before stock take are performed
- Ensure that immediate investigation is performed for all stock discrepancies or variances (e.g. cycle counting, stock take, negative stocks)

Requirements

Coordination:
- Ensure coordination with Retail Store Operations Specialist on compliance to Store manual

Team Management:
- Manage shop floor employees within store
- Ensure that recruitment of sales executive is performed as Group's standards
- Ensure that talents in stores are identified, and proposed for promotion as per Group's standards and interests of individuals
- Ensure that monthly assessment (IPA) of sales executives is performed as per Group's schedules and standards
- Ensure that monthly individual rewards and commissions are distributed fairly, as per achievement of performance
- Manage shop floor employees within store
- Ensure that IDP of sales executive are performed as per Group's guidelines
- Ensure that needs for training of sales executives are identified and addressed
- Ensure that gaps in back-store operations revealed by SORT and SOAR or raised by store managers and super users are addressed through coaching and technical trainings for concerned sales executives
- Coach sales executive along with super users on changes of SOP
- Ensure that personnel administration requests of sales executives are addressed in time
- Ensure that disciplinary actions for sales executives are performed as per Group's due diligence process or escalated when needed

About the Company

The Chalhoub Group is the leading partner for luxury across the Middle East since 1955. As an expert in retail, distribution and marketing services based in Dubai, the group has become a major player in the fashion, beauty and gift sectors regionally.

By blending its Middle East expertise and intimate knowledge of luxury, Chalhoub Group is building brands in the region, by offering service excellence to all its partners and a unique experience to its customers through its passionate teams.

With a growing workforce of more than 9,000 people, implemented in 14 countries, as well as the operating of over 470 retail outlets, the group's success is attributed to its most valued asset of highly skilled and dedicated teams. Professionalism and passion are what fuel the Chalhoub Group's competitive edge in today's market.

By being committed to implementing sustainable practices into their business, the Chalhoub Group has been awarded in 2013 the CSR Label from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.