Retail Director - Outdoors

JD GROUP; Bury; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in outdoor retail is seeking a Retail Director to provide strategic leadership across its iconic brands. The role involves driving commercial performance, enhancing customer experience, and ensuring operational excellence across the nationwide store estate. The ideal candidate will have extensive retail experience, strong commercial acumen, and proven leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in fast-paced retail, ideally outdoor or sports.
• Strong track record in delivering retail KPIs and profitability.
• Current UK Driving License holder, willing to travel.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a unified retail strategy across brands.
• Oversee retail operations to ensure compliance and customer satisfaction.
• Drive P&L accountability and manage KPIs for sales and margin.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Leadership

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Detail-oriented

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Responsible to:

CEO of Outdoors

Department:

Outdoors Retail

Hours:

40 Hours

Location:

Bury HQ with National Travel Required

Role Overview:

As the Retail Director of the Outdoor Division, you will provide strategic leadership and operational excellence across a portfolio of iconic outdoor brands including GO Outdoors, Blacks, Millets, and Fishing Republic. You will drive the commercial performance, customer experience, and retail innovation across a nationwide store estate, ensuring the brands evolve with changing customer behaviours while retaining their unique heritage.

You will develop and execute retail strategies that optimise store operations, boost efficiency, and strengthen customer loyalty. Your focus will be aligning store product assortments, pricing, and placement with customer demand and company goals across categories such as outdoor apparel, outdoor living, and outdoor activities including cycling, climbing, horse riding, and fishing.

Collaborating with brands, product, and marketing teams to maintain a focus on customer experience are vital aspects of the role. As retail director, your responsibilities extend to ensuring compliance with regulations and company policies.

Key Duties/Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership
   Define and execute a unified retail strategy that aligns with each brand’s identity while leveraging cross-brand synergies.
   Collaborate with brand leadership, buying, marketing, and e-commerce teams to deliver an omnichannel experience.

1. Operational Excellence
   Oversee retail operations across all stores to ensure high standards in execution, compliance, and customer satisfaction.
   Lead store format innovation, new store openings, refurbishments, and strategic closures.
   Embed a culture of continuous improvement and best practice sharing across the brands.

1. Commercial Performance
   Own and drive P&L accountability for the outdoor retail division.
   Set and manage KPIs for sales, margin, shrinkage, and operating costs.
   Identify opportunities for new revenue streams and customer growth.

1. Customer & Experience Focus
   Champion a consistent, engaging, and knowledgeable customer experience across all outdoor retail brands.
   Use insight and data to optimize store layouts, product presentation, and team training.
   Foster loyalty through in-store community engagement, local events, and loyalty initiatives.

1. Leadership & People Development
   Inspire and develop a high-performing field and in-store leadership team.
   Drive talent succession planning and performance culture across the retail network.
   Promote a culture that reflects the values of outdoor adventure, sustainability, and customer passion.

Skills/Experience/Knowledge Needed:

• Extensive experience working in a fast-paced retail environment, ideally in outdoor, lifestyle, or sports retail.
• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of delivering retail KPIs, growth, and profitability.
• Experience leading through complexity across multiple brands or divisions.
• Deep understanding of customer behaviour, store operations, and retail transformation.
• Strong understanding of retail, trading, and financial principles.
• Ability to find commercial opportunities to achieve profit in any situation, with a trading mentality supporting product development.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships throughout the organization and work effectively at all levels.
• Proven leadership with the ability to set clear business goals and develop teams.
• Problem-solving skills, with the ability to gather key information, then use logic and creativity to propose solutions.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel.
• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational and multitasking skills.
• Current UK Driving License holder, willing to travel across retail stores, head office, and attend meetings, conferences.