SUMMARY:
Retail General Manager - Textile Manufacturing Industry - Durban

POSITION INFO:

Our client, a well-established textile manufacturing and retail company supplying major national retail chains, independent retailers, wholesalers and export markets, is currently seeking an experienced Retail General Manager based in Jacobs, Durban South.

• Relevant Degree or Diploma in Business Management, Retail Management, Commerce or a related field preferred.
• 8–10+ years' progressive retail experience, including at least 5 years in a significant retail management or leadership role.
• Strong multi-site retail operations experience highly desirable.
• Proven experience managing retail sales performance, store operations and commercial growth.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement retail strategies and operational improvement plans.
• Strong financial management experience, including budgets, operating expenses, gross margins, profitability and store P&Ls.
• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing retail management teams.
• Strong understanding of stock management, shrinkage control, merchandising, customer service and retail compliance.
• Ability to analyse sales and operational performance data and implement corrective actions.
• Excellent communication, leadership, decision-making and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple stores, priorities and operational challenges in a fast-paced retail environment.

• Retail Strategy & Business Growth
• Develop and implement retail growth strategies aligned with the Head of Retail and overall business objectives.
• Identify opportunities for new stores, markets, sales channels, product categories and revenue growth.
• Assess existing store performance and identify opportunities for expansion and improved profitability.
• Translate strategic objectives into measurable operational plans.
• Monitor retail market trends, competitor activity and commercial opportunities.
• Sales & Commercial Performance
• Take overall responsibility for divisional sales performance and achievement of revenue, margin and profitability targets.
• Monitor and analyse store turnover, gross margins, product performance, conversion rates and customer trends.
• Identify underperforming stores and implement recovery and improvement plans.
• Drive sales growth, customer retention and commercial productivity across the retail network.
• Ensure Store Managers remain accountable for agreed sales and operational targets.
• Multi-Site Retail Operations
• Provide leadership and operational oversight to the Retail Manager and retail store network.
• Ensure consistent operational standards across all stores.
• Monitor visual merchandising, stock availability, customer experience, housekeeping and store administration.
• Oversee stock controls, shrinkage prevention, cash handling and operational compliance.
• Establish and maintain effective operating procedures, reporting structures and performance standards.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement improvements across the division.
• Financial Management & Profitability
• Manage retail budgets, operating expenses and divisional profitability.
• Review and analyse store profit and loss statements.
• Monitor payroll, occupancy costs and other controllable operating expenses.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising operational performance or customer service.

• Assess the commercial viability of existing stores and proposed expansion opportunities.
• Ensure financial targets and budgetary controls are maintained.
• Marketing, Promotions & Retail Execution
• Collaborate with Marketing and Brand teams on promotional campaigns, product launches and in-store activities.
• Ensure campaigns are commercially relevant and consistently implemented across stores.
• Monitor promotional performance and evaluate sales results.
• Identify opportunities to improve campaign effectiveness and customer engagement.
• People Leadership & Performance Management
• Lead, coach and develop the Retail Manager and ensure effective management of Store Managers.

• Establish clear performance expectations, responsibilities and accountability structures.
• Monitor management and employee performance across the retail network.
• Identify training, development and succession-planning requirements.
• Partner with HR on recruitment, performance management and talent development.
• Promote a high-performance, customer-focused and accountable retail culture.
• Customer Experience & Service Standards
• Establish and maintain consistent customer service standards across stores.
• Monitor customer feedback, complaints and recurring service issues.
• Ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
• Drive improvements in customer satisfaction and overall retail experience.
• Reporting, Governance & Compliance
• Prepare structured reports for the Head of Retail covering sales, profitability, operations, people performance and business risks.
• Monitor operational compliance, internal controls and company policies.
• Ensure stores adhere to established retail procedures and governance standards.
• Identify and escalate operational and commercial risks.
• Monitor progress against strategic initiatives and performance improvement plans.

• Strategic retail management and commercial acumen.
• Multi-site retail operations leadership.
• Sales growth and profitability management.
• Budgeting, financial analysis and P&L management.
• Retail strategy development and execution.
• People leadership, coaching and performance management.
• Store operations, merchandising and stock control.
• Shrinkage prevention and operational compliance.
• Customer service and relationship management.
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving.
• Strong decision-making and accountability.
• Stakeholder management and communication.
• Change management and continuous improvement.
• Planning, organisation, and operational execution.

• Retail turnover and sales growth.
• Gross margin and profitability.
• Store performance against budget.
• Same-store sales growth.
• Stock availability and shrinkage control.
• Customer service performance.
• Operating expense management.
• Promotional effectiveness.
• Store operational compliance.
• Employee performance, development and retention.
• Achievement of retail growth initiatives.