Patrizia Pepe is looking for a Franchising & Dpt. Stores Manager.
Overview:
Reporting directly to the Retail Director, the candidate will split the time between head offices in Florence (Italy), international offices and showroom in Milan and travelling to franchise markets (up to 70%). The Franchising & Dpt. Stores Manager will be responsible for managing, maintaining, and growing franchising stores business, a network of approximately 40 Patrizia Pepe monobrand boutiques and a few shop-in-shop point of sales across the EMEAR region. The role will be requiring monitoring each individual store to sell-in the optimal collection, managing daily operations and being the point-of-contact at corporate headquarters for global franchise partners. You will be collaborating with leaders, bringing new creative and strategic solutions to the table in order to ensure key markets are trading profitably.
Main responsibilities:
- Implement the brand strategy to grow the business profitably through store portfolio expansion and franchise execute development plans
- To manage the relationships with Landlords and drive the transition towards excellence in real estate management
- To negotiate commercial agreements and conditions with franchisee partners and support their long term strategies and day-to-day activities to reach sales targets and profitability
- Support the expansion of the store portfolio in prime locations, thanks to an extended knowledge of the real estate business in the market
- Manage and constantly assess the existing portfolio of stores (openings, closings, contracts, locations) in order to improve the profitability of the Franchising Retail channel in the market
- Forecast annual and monthly sales plan by store/country for our franchising & Dpt. Stores portfolio across the EMEAR region
- Project and plan each business by partner to ensure adequate inventory levels are maintained
- Review profitability reports to make decisions on how to grow each business through a solid understanding of sales to stock ratios, gross margin, markdowns etc.
- Orchestrate product knowledge seminars for stores in order to train in-store selling staff of merchandise features, quality, fashion trends, and company direction
- Advise accounts of merchandise ready and any production issues
- Monitor, track and analyse account selling; generate and track weekly selling, door selling, seasonal turnover, and seasonal margin
- Collaborate with Retail Director and Wholesale Director on a daily basis on territory status
- From time to time involved in any ad-hoc retail and wholesale projects
Profile:
- Extensive proven experience on a global scale partnering with and driving Franchise & Dpt. Stores partnership within territories including Italy, Europe and Russia
- Previous experience at a senior wholesale level within the ready-to-wear industry is preferred alongside the ability to analyse the business using “retail math” (ie., sell through, stock on-hand, inventory, and margin)
- A developed network and key knowledge on trends, local influencers with a track record of creative and strategic solutions on how to improve the brand in each market
- A strong commercial business head, you must demonstrate the ability to think and act as a business leader and team leader
- An analytic mind with an eye to spot profitable business opportunities both within Retail and Wholesale market
- Previous experience of managing a retail franchising network budget/P&L with confidence, knowing when to flex up and down to maximise trade opportunities
- An innate desire to be customer centric and ensure they are at the heart of every decision they make
- A design thinker - making key commercial decisions to drive the business forward
- Evidence of building a robust plan to look at store commercials and what needs to be done in order to achieve maximum performance
- Astute decision maker, you will be brave in trying things which ultimately impact store sales and profitability positively
- A confident communicator, you will be adept with public speaking and conducting presentations to retail executives
- Excellent computer skills with an emphasis on Microsoft Excel
- Ideally you will be educated to Bachelor’s Degree level (preferably in Business or Fashion Merchandising), but this is not essential
- You must have a thirst for travel, with up to 70% of your time spent visiting current and future franchise markets