School Uniform Shop Manager

Location: Parkway Shopping, Newbury
Job type: Full-time, including Saturdays on a rota

Skoolkit is looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and hands-on School Uniform Shop Manager to lead its busy store at Parkway Shopping.

Supporting local schools, parents and pupils every day, Skoolkit works closely with a number of local schools to help ensure pupils have access to the correct uniform throughout the year.

The successful candidate will be an outstanding leader with a genuine passion for customer service. You'll be confident managing a team, building positive relationships with parents, children and school staff, and creating a welcoming environment where every customer feels valued.

You'll also need to be organised, approachable and calm under pressure - particularly during the busy back-to-school season.

As Shop Manager, you'll take overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Newbury store, ensuring excellent standards of customer service, operational efficiency and team performance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading, motivating and developing a friendly, customer-focused team
• Delivering excellent service to parents, pupils and school representatives
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with partner schools, including occasional school visits and evening events
• Providing knowledgeable advice and support to customers purchasing school uniform
• Managing stock levels, deliveries and inventory
• Planning staffing levels to meet seasonal demand
• Monitoring sales and managing cash handling in line with company procedures
• Maintaining high standards of shop presentation and organisationResolving customer queries professionally, fairly and with empathy
• Creating a positive working environment where colleagues feel supported and motivated

Being able to drive your own vehicle to school visits and events would be an advantage.

Skoolkit is looking for someone who enjoys working with people and understands the importance of providing an excellent experience for every family visiting the store.

You'll have:

• Previous experience managing a retail store or similar customer-facing operation
• Proven leadership skills and the ability to inspire, develop and support a team
• Excellent communication skills and confidence engaging with parents, children and school staff
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• The ability to remain calm and make sound decisions in a busy environment
• A proactive approach to problem solving and continuous improvement
• Good IT and administrative skills
• Flexibility to work additional hours during the peak summer trading period, including early starts for deliveries

Please note that holidays cannot be authorised during the last two weeks of August or the first week of September , as this is Skoolkit's busiest trading period.

There is no parking allocated to the shop, so applicants should live locally or have reliable transport arrangements.