Shop Manager

Blue Cross For Pets; Wilmslow; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

38 days holiday rising with service

Wellbeing support

GP access via MetLife

Health cash plan

Employee assistance programme

Pension scheme with employer contrib.

CPD support

Life assurance

Pet insurance discount

Family friendly policies

Recognition scheme

Volunteer days

Retail staff discounts

Job summary

Blue Cross in Wilmslow is seeking a Shop Manager to lead our charity store. You will manage staff and volunteers, recruit new team members, and ensure everyone is trained and confident in their roles.

You will own sales and stock, plan income targets with the Area Manager, champion Gift Aid, and maintain high merchandising standards while delivering outstanding customer service and community engagement.

Qualifications

• Retail management experience is essential.
• Strong commercial awareness to drive sales.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Good IT skills and a basic understanding of finance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate staff and volunteers and recruit new team members.
• Own sales, plan income targets with the Area Manager and control costs.
• Champion Gift Aid and maintain accurate pricing and merchandising.
• Oversee stock, stocktakes, and day-to-day shop processes.
• Deliver outstanding customer service and build community connections.

Skills

Retail management

Commercial awareness

Interpersonal skills

IT skills

People management

Customer service

Job description

Shop Manager

Application Deadline: 22 September 2026

Department: Fundraising, Comms & Engagement

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Wilmslow

Reporting To: Area Manager - Shops

Compensation: £25,000 / year

Description

Contract: Permanent, full time (35 hours over 5 days p/week)

Salary: Circa £25,000 p/annum

Location: Wilmslow, SK9 1DU

Closing date: Tuesday 22 September 2026

Charity shops are the in-place to shop and in 2026 and we want you to join us at our store in Wilmslow! By joining our team, you will be working within the local community and keeping people and their pets at the heart of everything that we do.

More about the role

As Shop Manager, you’ll be the driving force behind our friendly and committed team. You’ll lead and motivate staff and volunteers, recruit new people to the shop and make sure everyone feels trained and confident in their roles. Working closely with your Assistant Manager, you’ll keep communication clear and create a positive, energetic environment for the whole team.

You’ll take ownership of sales and profit, working with your Area Manager to plan income targets and keep costs under control. You’ll champion Gift Aid, ensure accurate pricing and bring creative ideas to in-store fundraising so the shop continues to grow.

Stock will be a big focus, encouraging local donations, keeping displays fresh, maintaining high merchandising standards and making sure the shop is always clean and inviting. You’ll also oversee new goods, stocktakes and day-to-day processes that keep everything running smoothly.

Above all, you’ll set the tone for outstanding customer service. You’ll create a warm, welcoming atmosphere, deal with any issues calmly and build strong community connections that help increase donations. As an ambassador for Blue Cross, you’ll represent our values with confidence and care.

Our shop is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 till 17:00 and your normal working pattern may change each week, subject to the needs of the business.

About you

Essential qualifications, skills, and experience:

• Retail management experience
• Commercial awareness to deliver sales
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong external relationships.
• Good IT skills and a basic understanding of finance
• Good people management skills
• Excellent customer service skills

It would also be great if you had:

• Full driving licence
• Experience of working with volunteers

Blue Cross benefits

Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.

In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.

Our generous benefits package includes:

• Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
• Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
• Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
• Health cash plan
• Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
• Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
• Life assurance
• 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Recognition scheme
• Annual volunteer days
• Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers

please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.