Head of Visual Merchandising

Foodstories; Delhi; On-site; INR 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

Foodstories in India seeks a Head of Visual Merchandising to shape how the brand looks in every store. You will lead the VM team from brief to store-level execution, turning campaigns into displays that are on-brand, buildable and within budget.

You will set the team’s rhythm, oversee creative reviews, and manage inventories across Delhi and Mumbai offices, travel as needed to roll out seasonal campaigns and capex-friendly displays.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in visual merchandising leadership across multi-store networks.
• Strong portfolio of in-store displays and seasonal campaigns.
• Ability to manage budgets, production timelines and vendors.
• Structured, process-driven with clear briefs and approvals.

Responsibilities

• Lead the VM team from brief to store-level execution.
• Plan timelines and ensure 6+ weeks lead times.
• Review and approve concepts, budgets, and production.
• Maintain centralized inventory of props and display materials.
• Ensure all approvals are documented via email.

Skills

Visual merchandising

Team leadership

Budget management

Creative brief development

Supplier coordination

Store rollout planning

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Budgeting software

Job description

About Foodstories:

Foodstories is the gourmet store to shop at in India ,a destination for discerning consumers who appreciate exceptional taste, premium quality, and discovering something new. More than just a food store, Foodstories brings together the world of gourmet food, everyday indulgence, wellness, and culinary discovery under one roof.

Designed for people who believe great food is an experience, Foodstories offers a thoughtfully curated selection of premium farm-fresh produce, artisanal bakery products, handcrafted cheeses, single-origin chocolates, exotic spices, global pantry essentials, wellness products, and much more. With nearly half of its offerings freshly prepared in-store, Foodstories places freshness, quality, and authenticity at the heart of the experience.

The Foodstories experience extends beyond shopping. Each store brings together gourmet retail, all-day dining, specialty coffee, fresh food, and wellness in a contemporary environment designed to make discovering and enjoying great food an everyday experience.

With a growing presence across India, Foodstories currently has stores at Hill Road, Bandra and Lokhandwala, Andheri in Mumbai, Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj in Delhi NCR, Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, and Prestige Sterling Square in Bengaluru. The brand is continuing its rapid expansion, with new stores coming soon in Bellandur, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

Foodstories also makes premium food accessible wherever customers are, through its online platform, app, WhatsApp ordering, and personalised phone-based concierge services creating a seamless omnichannel experience between its stores and digital platforms.

Founded by Ashni Biyani and Avni Biyani, Foodstories is built around a shared passion for exceptional ingredients, global food cultures, and elevated experiences. With its distinctive mix of gourmet retail, fresh food, dining, coffee, and wellness, Foodstories is creating a new benchmark for how India shops, discovers, and experiences premium food.

Visit us :

https://www.foodstories.shop/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/foodstoriesshop/posts/?feedView=all&viewAsMember=true

About the Role:

As Head of Visual Merchandising, you will shape how Foodstories looks, feels and tells its stories in every store. You will lead the VM team from brief to store-level execution, turning marketing campaigns and seasonal occasions into displays that are beautiful, on-brand, buildable and within budget. You will set the team’s rhythm, own creative quality, and run a disciplined process of briefs, approvals and resources across our stores.

Key Responsibilities:

Briefing & timelines

• Receive VM briefs from the Marketing team through a briefing meeting followed by an official email, and align on objectives, scope, deliverables and timelines.
• Ensure a minimum lead time of 6 weeks before store-level execution, and 8–9 weeks for major occasions such as Diwali and Christmas, to allow for ideation, production and execution.

Team leadership & work allocation

• Allocate responsibilities across the VM team based on defined roles, and set internal milestones and deadlines for every brief.
• Guide the team in developing concepts, execution plans, budgets and production timelines in line with the approved brief.
• Mentor and develop the team, raising creative and execution standards across stores.

Creative reviews & approvals

• Review and approve all creative concepts, designs and execution plans internally before they move forward.
• Present internally approved work to the Head of Marketing for final review, feedback and sign-off.
• Present budgets and exact props alongside every idea, so each concept can be executed within the allotted budget.
• Ensure all final approvals for print, production and store-level execution are documented via email before proceeding.

Props inventory & resource management

• Build and maintain a centralised inventory of reusable VM props and display materials at the Delhi and Mumbai offices, including fabrics, jute, crates, baskets, boxes, glass vases, lighting, acrylic stands and other essentials.
• Set up the inventory at the start of each year with an initial stock assessment, coordinated with the relevant internal teams.
• Keep an up-to-date record of available materials, reuse and repurpose props wherever possible, and source additional props as required.

Communication standards

• Uphold the non-negotiables: no briefs and no approvals via WhatsApp. All official VM briefs and all creative, budget, production and execution approvals are communicated and documented via email.
• Use WhatsApp only for day-to-day coordination and operational updates.

What We’re Looking For

• Significant experience in visual merchandising, with proven experience leading a VM team, ideally in premium retail, gourmet food, F&B, lifestyle or luxury.
• A strong eye for design, styling, colour, materials and lighting, with a portfolio of in-store displays and seasonal campaigns.
• Experience managing VM budgets, vendors, production timelines and multi-store rollouts.
• A structured, process-driven way of working, comfortable with clear briefs, documented approvals and firm deadlines.
• Strong presentation and communication skills, able to present concepts and budgets to senior leadership.
• A love of food and an instinct for making great produce the hero of a display.
• Willingness to travel across stores and cities as required.