Area Business Manager, Karnataka, Planet Fashion

Job Purpose

Ensure delivery and compliance of exceptional operational standards across stores in the area to drive sales, profitability, customer service excellence, and enhance staff competence and performance, while managing within agreed budgets. Ensure retail operations are efficient and effective.

Job Context & Major Challenges

Retail demands being better, faster, and leaner. To face competitive pressure, retail operations must build stores as brands that reinforce marketing positioning, communicate quality, and offer value for money. Sustainable advantage depends on combining product, image, and customer experience into a strong retail brand strategy.

Key Challenges

• Effectively manage and motivate teams across multiple store locations, acting as a role model
• Manage P&L within allocated budget to ensure profitability for the area
• Ensure all stores comply with operational standards, company policies, and procedures
• Liaise with multiple internal and external teams (retail, visual merchandising, projects, HR, vendors, franchises) to ensure smooth operations
• Coordinate new store launches within budget, manage store closures, negotiate rent concessions, recover deposits, and reduce company capital expenditure exposure
• Maintain a motivated, results-driven team

Key Result Areas

Tapping Business Potential

• Execute footfall generation plans and monitor quality
• Provide inputs for store business plans
• Conduct competition mapping to identify market threats and opportunities
• Generate business leads for regional management in terms of potential and new store scope

Franchisee Management

• Act as key relationship manager for franchisees on operational compliance and SOP adherence
• Encourage franchisee investments

Merchandise Management

• Conduct regular store visits to recommend merchandise changes and identify gaps

Store Operations

• Monitor store openings and timelines
• Ensure compliance with cash, stock, cost management, housekeeping, and attendance policies
• Manage new store recruitments and opening checklists
• Conduct regular audits and maintain store standards

Understanding Consumer Needs

• Ensure high compliance in customer data collection and registration
• Analyze consumer demographics to customize store strategies
• Build rapport with top customers at each store

Team Management

• Support recruitment of store managers under RM guidance
• Conduct store manager performance reviews
• Motivate and engage store teams
• Set weekly sales targets aligned with market trends and business expectations
• Monitor and ensure compliance to spend budgets
• Facilitate training and skill development across stores, ensuring adherence to training calendar

People

• Foster a great workplace culture, supporting engagement and growth

Desired Skills and Experience

Sales, sales and marketing alignment, sales and marketing leadership, sales and marketing skills, marketing and sales