Head of Retail South Africa – Cape Town

SUMMARY:
Head of Retail South Africa – Cape Town

POSITION INFO:

Position Purpose

This role is responsible and accountable for the overall strategy, sales, marketing, profitability and operations of the retail division. This role will provide clear direction to deliver on budgets and display inspirational leadership across a diverse team.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy

Develop, execute and update strategic expansion plan for new store openings
Provides input into the strategic direction for the Retail Department in relation to turnover, profitability, budgets and departmental structure
Develop strategic plan to achieve sustainable long term growth for the division
Manage relevant reporting of management and financial information for the retail department
Maintain and develop the company’s image and reputation through compliance with all relevant legislation and company policies
Plan and manage internal communications to all team members within the retail department
Determine return on investment for merchandising and marketing programs to make recommendations for future strategies that drive sales
Responsible for ensuring short & long term strategic and tactical objectives fully support strategy

Operations

Deliver agreed sales and profit targets for the retail division
Responsible for providing outstanding levels of customer service and customer satisfaction
Holds staff accountable to ensure exceptional customer service
Ensures staff are fully trained on all company products
Design and implement the annual sales & marketing plan for the retail business
Work with the Product Manager & Wholesale Marketing Director on new product development feasibility and execution, and on merchandising, product selection, promotions and offerings
Work in conjunction with Finance and IT to develop sound, cost effective tracking systems on par or beyond competition
Report to the CEO on a monthly basis performance against budget
Management of the POS system in delivering the requirements of the retail team and utilizing information in making informed decisions in the ongoing management
Assess product range including pricing
Manage each store in line with agreed target ratios on labor and stock shrinkage
Ensure store and staff presentation are in line with corporate objectives for the brand
Forecasting sales volumes for operations needs
Manage and supply the sales forecast by SKU for all stores on a monthly basis to marketing & operations and transpose into LE1, LE2 & FY budget requirements and lead the S&OP process from a sales perspective
Through effective training, instill a culture that ensures all Retail employees understand the Company Brand and have complete product knowledge that can be transferred to the consumer

Marketing

Executes the Company’s brand equity, understanding that the retail stores are the most direct way for consumers to experience the company brand
Maintain awareness of consumer desires within the retail stores and work with the Marketing Department to execute those selected
Monitor sales of seasonal and promotional product ranges and report performance
Monitor and analyze each stores sales performance by product segment and take instore action and advised marketing as required

Logistics
Work with the Supply Chain Manager to establish the most efficient order/delivery process for stock

Maintenance, Agreements & Contracts

Manage all store lease negotiations on an ongoing basis including new options and renewals
Manage third party service agreements
Ensure that all equipment and machinery are fully operational and in good repair
Conduct quarterly maintenance reviews on each site
Staff Development & Management

Understand & ensure compliance with the relevant labor laws governing employees
Manage the recruitment process for all retail management
Develop leadership & implement a training schedule to include company history, policies & procedures, product knowledge and customer service
Counsel, coach and guide management team on proper techniques, operational issues and human resources
Motivate staff to achieve desired sales & profit results
Communicate regularly with the Training Manager, Retail Manager, Store Managers and appropriate management in regards to sales, P/L, Service and best practice
Provide direction to the Store Manager in setting targets & contribute to action plans to achieve these targets
Analyze daily sales figures for retail and compare to forecasted figures
Provide sales information to staff and utilize in incentive programs
Work with the HR department in the selection, training, development and succession planning of current and future staff in all states
Responsible for regular coaching and performance evaluations of all direct reports.

Work Health & Safety

Apply best practice and ensure compliance with all OHSA legislation
Ensure new retail store shop fitting supports a safe work environment that minimizes risk to employee health and wellbeing
Ensure OHSA standards are strictly observed (or company standards where they exceed statutory requirements)
Enforces food safety and hygiene standards in store at all times

Personal Characteristics

Strategic thinker, strong analytical skills
Ability to mentor, guide and inspire teams to develop a strong-productive team
Entrepreneurial with ability to ‘think outside the box’
Ability to deliver direction and motivate teams to achieve results based on sound strategy
Assigns the highest priority to customer satisfaction and is committed to quality
Sets clear performance targets, provides direction and defines responsibility
Fully utilizes diversity of team-members to achieve superior business success

Skills and Competencies required

Minimum of 4 - 6 years in field area of Hospitality and/or Retail Senior management in a premium environment
Proven record of successful conceptual development and strategic implementation
Proven track record with increasing responsibilities and the ability to manage effectively areas of profit/loss with a growth oriented multi-unit organization
Previous food/chocolate Industry experience preferable
Intermediate computer skills (Excel, Word, Outlook, Power Point)
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Creative and innovative problem solving skills

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