Job Description
Closing Date of Applications – 28th June 2024 Our Story Manchester City is an English Premier League club whose roots began in East Manchester. From its first incarnation as St Mark’s West Gorton in 1880, the club became Manchester City FC in 1894. Behind each title lies emotion, moments and memories that resonate with millions of supporters around the world. Manchester City fans are known for their commitment and togetherness, as a Club that fights to the end. Our Winning Team MCFC is built on a vision for sustainability, with an academy structure designed to support long-term first team success, to engagement with the communities in which we reside. Together with our passionate fans and valued network of partners, we are developing Manchester City’s future history. As a Retail Manager you will manage our physical store performance, focussing predominantly on our two Manchester sites at the Etihad Stadium and Manchester Arndale. Using their experience in retail they will be able to identifies areas for improvement and innovation that will continue to deliver strong year on year growth and a great fan experience. This person will also work closely with the Head of Retail and Merchandising to create and deliver a best-in-class new stadium store due to open in 2026. Within the stadium store performance this individual will monitor and drive the performance of Matchday sales revenue with a focus on the matchday operational function and product availability. Non-matchday sales revenue will be a key KPI also with a focus in particular on delivering high stadium tour visitor conversion. This Retail Manager will manage the marketing activity of the Manchester City retail team and will plan / control the retail marketing calendar. With a thorough knowledge of all the Official Merchandise, as well as new product launch dates, product buys and sell through rates. Essential relationships must be cultivated internally and externally with Stichd, our third-party retail operator, and PUMA, to ensure a full understanding of all upcoming product launches, and the size of the CityStore buy. With this knowledge, the Retail Manager will be able to ensure we maximise sales and engagement at all product launches. Your Impact Drive Stichd to deliver consistently high brick and mortar sales performing at or above our annual forecasts. Sales will be maximised with attention to the product mix, the look and feel of the store including a clear customer journey. Support the Head of Retail and Merchandising in delivering a best-in-class stadium store which is due to open in Summer 2026. Using their experience and knowledge the retail manager will be able to advise of best practices and innovations from high street retail that can be applied to the new flagship city store to enhance the customer experience and the sales performance Stadium sales – increase traffic, basket size and overall revenue in the Stadium Store, on match day and non-match day, via marketing and innovative ideas. Be responsible for the link between Stadium Store and the club Stadium Tour. Manage the delivery of retail marketing campaigns and product launches for our physical stores. Working closely with external partners and internal departments, plan the most relevant and impactful campaigns for each launch. Ensure reach of each campaign is maximised across club channels, and other third parties when relevant. Manage the Retail Marketing calendar and inform those necessary about key dates. Have a detailed plan, encompassing activity on and off pitch, in the UK and in priority markets, to ensure any required assets are captured and delivered in suitable time, to support all product launches. Help drive Stichd to continue annual growth in our brick & mortar retail sales. Working with their buying team, have a thorough knowledge of the CityStore product buy, and sell through rates, to ensure sales via each store are maximised. This will be achieved by attention to product mix, sales rates at various times of year, the look of stores, planning for match days and in store signage and marketing. Growing Stadium Store and Arndale Store sales – focus on methods to increase traffic, basket size and overall revenue in the Stadium Store, on match day and non-match day, via marketing and other innovative ideas. Be responsible for the link between Stadium Store and the club Stadium Tour, providing data on conversion rates and Tour customer feedback. Conduct on-going retailer business reviews with the store team(s), measuring performance to budget and challenging retailers to continually improve performance. Work closely with the Licensing Manager and our official licensees to ensure a thorough understanding of the full range of licensed products, and ensure sales are maximised in physical retail channels. What we are looking for Essential Retail experience, ideally working for high street retailers or sports related retail. Organised individual, used to planning, project management, and problem solving. Adaptable – happy to work in a fast-paced environment which can change frequently Organised – good attention to detail for planning and execution of a plan. Demonstrates the ability to build effective relationships with customers, colleagues, and suppliers. Commercial – driven by a desire to generate revenues. Creative – a love of merchandise. Passionate – come to work with the passion fans will feel towards our merchandise. Offers a dedicated and flexible can-do approach. Desirable Knowledge of sport and fan behaviour. Understanding of the product development cycle with a sportswear brand.