Assistant Store Manager

The Opportunity

Antler is the British Travel Brand. We have over 100 years of heritage - reimagined for the modern world. We design beautifully crafted luggage, bags and accessories built for today's travel lifestyles.

Since ATR Brands acquired Antler in 2020, we've reimagined the brand, invested in our teams, and continued to develop great products. Our Regent Street flagship is the embodiment of that ambition - a space where customers can fully experience Antler, our products, and our story.

The Assistant Store Manager will be second-in-command. This is a hands-on, active role for someone who enjoys being on the shop floor and a role-model to the rest of the team - and it carries real, defined operational and people responsibilities of your own, not just support to the Store Manager.

While you will be a primary keyholder and responsible for the store when the Store Manager is away, you'll also directly own scheduling, training delivery, and 1-to-1s for the team, alongside spending the majority of your time selling, helping customers, and ensuring the team delivers a premium service.

To support the needs of our global brand and customers, candidates must be available to work flexibly, including weekdays, evenings, weekends, and peak trading periods.

Key Responsibilities

We are fast-paced and entrepreneurial, a lean team with big ambitions. These are the things that will be at the core of your role day-to-day.

Leading by Example

• Lead by Example: Spend the majority of your time on the floor, delivering a warm and knowledgeable customer experience that matches Antler's standards.
• Drive Sales: Work as part of the team to meet daily and weekly sales targets, helping customers find the perfect luggage and accessories for their trips.
• Keyholding: Take responsibility for opening and closing the store, including managing daily till procedures and security protocols.
• Second-in-Command: Act as the senior lead on-site when the Store Manager is not around, ensuring the store runs smoothly and the team stays motivated.
• Product Expertise: Maintain an expert level of knowledge regarding our materials and features to confidently educate both customers and the wider team.

Commercial & Merchandising

• Support forecasting, providing the Store Manager with input on sales trends and performance.
• Own inventory ordering and tracking, ensuring stock levels are accurate and well maintained.
• Coordinate and review stock takes and audits each month.
• Plan and execute visual merchandising campaigns, including for NPD drops, ensuring displays reflect brand guidelines.

People & Team Leadership

• Create and manage the store's weekly rota, balancing coverage needs with fairness and flexibility for the team.
• Deliver key training to the team, including onboarding and product training.
• Conduct regular 1-to-1s and performance conversations with team members, providing input to the Store Manager on wider performance decisions.
• Organise cover for staff absence, working constructively with the team to find fair, practical solutions.
• Compliance, Security & Health & Safety
• Provide support and backup on opening and closing procedures.
• Implement and monitor loss prevention procedures day to day.
• Carry out spot checks and deliver training on cash handling and till management.
• Conduct regular health & safety inspections, including on manual handling and delivery processes.

Reporting & Customer Insights

• Act as the first point of escalation for customer complaints.
• Compile and analyse store reporting on a daily basis.
• Ensure brand and uniform standards are consistently adhered to across the team.
• Compile and share VOC insights and customer feedback with the Store Manager.
• Assist with stock management, deliveries, and in-store events or product launches.

Requirements

The Requirements

It's all about compatibility. These are the things you'll need to thrive in this role.

• Retail Experience: Previous experience in a customer-facing retail or hospitality role, including demonstrable experience as a keyholder or supervisor.
• Reliability: You are dependable, proactive, and comfortable owning real responsibility for a flagship site.
• Great Communicator: You are confident and friendly, with a genuine love for customer service and the ability to give clear direction to a team.
• Sales Focused: You naturally enjoy talking to people, building connections, and helping them make a purchase.
• Flexible: You are able to work different hours to support the needs of a global flagship, including evenings, weekends, and peak trading periods.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and remain on your feet for extended periods during shifts.
• Our stock is luggage, bags and travel accessories, which arrive in large, bulky boxes - ability to lift, carry, push, or pull stock (up to approximately 27 lbs / 12 kg) is required, including supporting the team with stock deliveries when needed.
• Ability to bend, reach, twist, and move comfortably around the store, including between the shop floor and basement stockroom, as required.

Benefits

The Perks

Aside from the role, the people and our big ambitions, here are some of the other things that make Antler a great place to work.

• Lifestyle: 28 days paid leave inclusive of Bank Holidays.
• Health: Health cash plan & wellbeing support provided by Medicash.
• Wealth: Pension + pension advice, life insurance and discretionary company bonus.
• Family: Enhanced family leave for primary carers.
• Benefits: Generous Antler product discount and allowance, Charlie HR perks, local retail discounts and cashback on various high street brands.