Store Manager

Overview

Store Manager - Reporting To: Retail Area Manager. Location: Canterbury. Contract Type: Permanent. Hours per week: 40.

Bird & Blend Tea Co. is an eco-conscious, people-focused, award-winning & B Corp-certified Tea Mixology company on a mission to spread happiness & reimagine tea. The company was founded by Krisi & Mike, who started in Politics at university, built Bird & Blend from scratch, and have grown to multiple retail stores and an international online store.

Bird & Blend believes in doing business in a better way and aims to welcome as many people as possible into our Magical World of Tea while staying true to our ethos and values.

You can read more information about us and our mission here:

About this Role

As a Store Manager, you'll be the key to engaging with customers, listening to their needs, and guiding them to the right products. With leadership, you'll inspire and develop your team to create memorable and inclusive customer experiences, driving the store's overall success. You'll handle budgeting, plan marketing strategies, and build the store's customer base. You'll coordinate the daily activities of your team, build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and inspire a high-performing team in a dynamic and friendly environment.

This is a full-time role (40 hours per week), which includes weekends and some evenings, operating an on-site pattern.

What are the responsibilities?

• Customer Experience: Ensure every visitor has an exceptional Bird & Blend Tea experience and foster a customer-focused culture with memorable interactions.
• Customer Focus: Become an expert on Bird & Blend products and values and handle escalated customer queries promptly.
• Sales: Drive your team to meet sales targets and KPIs and implement sales strategies with the Assistant Manager to boost sales and customer experience.
• Motivate and Inspire: Lead, motivate and support your team to achieve individual and collective goals.
• Coaching: Provide feedback and coaching to enhance individual and store performance.
• Recruiting and Training: Recruit, induct, train, and develop a high-performing team that fosters a positive store environment.
• Daily Operations: Oversee daily store operations, including opening and closing procedures.
• Staff Rotas: Organise and oversee team schedules to ensure adequate cover on the shop floor at all times.
• Merchandising Standards: Maintain high visual merchandising standards, ensuring the store always looks exciting, inviting, and accessible.
• Sustainability: Support Bird & Blend in reaching impact goals set out in the sustainability and impact strategy and lead your team to do the same (we are a B-Corp).
• Stock Management: Manage stock efficiently to optimise stock levels, minimise discrepancies, and ensure products are readily available.
• Stock Takes: Arrange, plan and execute stock takes.
• Events: Lead and host store and local events, including evening events, to make them enjoyable and memorable for customers.
• Sampling: Motivate and lead the team to engage with customers by sampling, indoors or at external events.
• Build Connections: Foster relationships within the local community to increase footfall and successful store events and activities.

About you

• People Management Experience: At least 2 years in a management role or similar within a customer service environment.
• Brand Ambassador: Represent our brand and culture, embodying our values and inspiring your team to do the same.
• Sales Skills: Proven track record of effective selling and driving commercial outcomes.
• Team Leadership: Excellent at leading, motivating and supporting a team, fostering an inclusive and positive work environment.
• Communication and Problem-Solving: Excellent communication, problem-solving, and visual merchandising skills.
• Product Enthusiasm: Genuine passion for our product and the confidence to share your enthusiasm with customers and the team.
• Customer Service Skills: Excellent customer service skills with the ability to build rapport and connect with customers confidently.
• Employment Relations: Experience in managing employee relations cases effectively.
• Professionalism: Foster a professional, fair, and kind relationship with customers and your team.
• Empathy: Demonstrated ability to use empathy to manage interpersonal relationships effectively.
• Open Mindset: Curious and open-minded approach, with the ability to understand others, listen without judgement, and embrace diverse perspectives.
• Flexible Availability: Shifts may vary weekly, requiring adaptability to cover different days and times.
• A commitment to excellence: Going above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction is second nature.
• Approaching people: Confident and comfortable approaching people with a sample inside and outside of the store.

Are there any perks?

• We are proud to be a Sunday Times Best Places To Work 2024 employer.
• Friendly and supportive team culture: Enjoy working alongside a team of like-minded individuals who value collaboration and fun.
• Company pension scheme: Enrollment in a company-sponsored pension scheme where available.
• Holiday accrual that grows with loyalty: 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays) and increases with service.
• Your birthday off!
• Life Insurance & Income Protection: Financial security for you and your family.
• Health Cash Plan: After one year service, enrolment to claim back dental, optical, prescription charges, etc.
• Life Happens Leave: Paid leave for unexpected life events.
• Complimentary drinks and snacks: Free drinks and snacks in the office.
• Monthly tea allowance and generous staff discount: Discount on company products.
• Employee Assistance Programme: Confidential mental health support services.
• Bike to Work and Electric Vehicle Schemes: Tax-efficient savings and sustainable transport options.
• Paid volunteer days: Paid days for volunteering.
• Dog-friendly office: Pet-friendly work environment.
• Enhanced family-friendly policies: Flexible working and accommodation of individual circumstances.

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all. Applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships. If you require reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the application or interview process please let us know.