Retail Clothing Store Manager Jobs in Riverside, IL

Why J.McLaughlin? 

J.McLaughlin was founded in 1977 by brothers Kevin and Jay McLaughlin with a mission to create an American Sportswear brand that offered two key components:  classic clothing with current relevance and a retail environment that has a neighborhood feel.  The J.McLaughlin brand has always been more about style than fashion: straightforward, unpretentious, and devoid of the superfluous. Our clothing is rooted in the tradition of sport, work, and play.  With over 150 retail locations, each store is entirely unique, attentively designed to reflect the town's color, character, and architecture. This attention to detail extends to exemplary customer service and local philanthropic engagement. 

Our “Culture of Kindness” creates an environment with respect, politeness, consideration, and empathy that creates a family like atmosphere and focuses on giving back to the community.   The company has an entrepreneurial spirit which fosters great experience and career opportunities, complemented with our great incentive benefits programs.   

Overview

J.McLaughlin is a specialty American Sportswear and Accessories brand headquartered in New York.  J.McLaughlin has a reputation for being “local and loyal”, building meaningful relationships within each community and providing customers with highly personalized service.  We are a growing company with a focus on our culture of kindness, cultivating an exceptional atmosphere in which to work and shop.    

We are looking for a highly motivated, results driven Store Manager for our retail store, with a passion for classic American Sportswear and the ability to lead the team to achieve goals, while upholding the ideals and standards of the company.    The ideal candidate should be sales driven and leads by example in building impactful relationships.  The Store Manager would be responsible for all aspects of the business, including sales, customer service, visual merchandising, team development, staffing and operations.   As brand ambassadors, Store Managers are the experts in taking care of clients, driving the business, and creating a unique shopping experience with new and existing customers.

About the Role

Essential Functions:

•    Act as the Brand Ambassador by embracing the company culture to develop and cultivate productive and profitable relationships with clients and our communities

•    Motivate and engage the store team by setting clear goals and expectations to achieve objectives and contribute to the overall success of the store

•    Provide exemplary client service in order to create a customer-centric, friendly retail environment that fosters loyalty within our communities

•    Proficient in business acumen to effectively make business decisions

•    Manage store operations and ensure all aspects run efficiently to create a profitable and productive business

Additional Job Responsibilities:

•    Manage all aspects of the business, including hiring, scheduling, training, merchandising, loss prevention, customer service, expenses, payroll, and inventory management

•    Create and maintain a culture of kindness that is client and team focused 

•    Recruit and hire top talent

•    Train and develop teams on selling skills, product knowledge, and operations. 

•    Conduct performance appraisals and coach in the moment to maximize sales and motivate team

•    Strategize and implement a client outreach plan, utilizing clienteling tools

•    Effectively use the POS system to provide exemplary service

•    Partner with community organizations and charities to host store events and trunk shows, continuing to build a reputation of being a local and loyal retailer

•    Drive sales by demonstrating extensive product knowledge and the ability to make appropriate suggestions for the client

•    Hold team accountable for achieving goals

•    Monitor sales trends and execute plans to maximize sales within the store

•    Effectively communicate needs of the business with District Manager and store teams

•    Take a collaborative approach, sharing best practices, ideas, and information with peers across all markets and build productive relationships 

•    Respond to customer questions, inquiries, and concerns to resolve all issues in a timely manner

•    Communicate and execute all direction from Retail Operations and the Corporate Office 

•    Plan and prioritize the workload and ensure the customer is the top priority

•    Merchandise the sales floor to maximize sales while adhering to visual directive and standards 

•    Maintain a clean and organized store to ensure a great place to work and shop

•    Partner with District Manager and Human Resources on employee relations issues and performance issues to ensure they are handled in accordance with company policy 

•    Adhere and enforce company policies and procedures and standards of professionalism 

•    Lead by example and maintain the highest level of integrity at all times

What we are looking for 

Skills & Requirements:

•    3+ years of retail management preferred

•    Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

•    Strong management and leadership skills

•    Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

•    Team player with strong communication and interpersonal skills

•    Proven track record in achieving sales goals and takes accountability for results

•    Positive and self-motivated 

•    Consistently demonstrates accountability, reliability, and professionalism

•    High energy and results driven

•    Adapts positively to change

•    Ability to multi-task, while keeping the customer the top priority 

•    Able to work various shifts, including weekends and holidays

•    Comfortable standing for long periods of time; must be able to lift up to 30 pounds

Equal Opportunity

J.McLaughlin is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.