Retail Business Development Manager (Retail/Fashion Exp Only)

Turtle; Kolkata District; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Turtle is seeking a dynamic Retail Business Development Manager to lead franchise expansion across fashion apparel. You will identify high-potential markets, pitch the franchise model to investors, and secure premium retail spaces that meet brand standards.

You will coordinate with internal teams and external partners to ensure timely store openings, maintain a strong pipeline of locations, and drive profitability through FOFO/FICO franchise structures.

Qualifications

• 6–8 years in retail business development within fashion apparel, footwear, or lifestyle accessories.
• Strong grasp of fashion retail metrics.
• Established network with mall developers and landlords.
• Proven track record closing multi-year franchise and leasing agreements.
• Willingness to travel extensively.

Responsibilities

• Identify, pitch to, and onboard qualified franchise partners and regional investors.
• Evaluate investor profiles and ensure alignment with brand standards.
• Drive site selection, market mapping, and catchment analysis.
• Close franchise agreements and manage timelines for store openings.

Skills

Franchise development

Negotiation

Market mapping

Investor relations

Retail analytics

Job description

We are seeking a dynamic and highly strategic Retail Business Development Manager to lead our brand's growth through franchise expansion in the fashion apparel sector. In this role, you will identify high-potential markets, pitch our franchise business model to prospective investors, and secure premium retail real estate. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of fashion retail metrics, an established network of regional investors/landlords, and a proven track record of scaling apparel brands via Franchise-Owned (FOFO/FICO) models.

Role & responsibilities

1. Franchise Partner Acquisition & Investor Relations

• Identify, pitch to, and onboard qualified franchise partners and regional investors capable of scaling the brand.
• Evaluate investor profiles, financial capability, and operational readiness to ensure alignment with brand standards.
• Present business cases and ROI models to prospects, demonstrating the commercial viability and profitability of our fashion concepts.

2. Premium Site Selection & Market Mapping

• Identify high-potential retail locations in premium shopping malls, high streets, and department store shop-in-shops.
• Conduct precise catchment analysis, mapping out competitor presence (competing fashion labels) and target customer demographics.
• Conduct market mapping, footfall analysis, and demographic research to evaluate the commercial viability of prospective sites.
• Approve properties that align with specific fashion retail requirements (e.g., facade visibility, frontage length, minimum carpet area).
• Maintain a healthy pipeline of prospective properties to support aggressive company growth objectives.

3. Commercial Negotiations & Deal Closures

• Drive three-way negotiations between the brand, the franchise partner, and mall developers/landlords to secure optimal lease terms.
• Finalize Franchise Agreements and Letters of Intent (LOIs) in alignment with corporate compliance, legal, and financial guidelines.
• Manage target timelines to ensure new franchise stores open on schedule and within budget parameters.

4. Cross-Functional Onboarding

• Coordinate between the franchisee and internal teams (Projects, Visual Merchandising, Merchandising/Buying) to ensure proper store build-out and stock allocation.
• Monitor initial store launch metrics to ensure new franchise outlets smoothly transition into standard retail operations.

Preferred candidate profile

• Experience: 6 to 8 years in retail business development, specifically within fashion apparel, footwear, or lifestyle accessories using franchise models.
• Industry Acumen: Strong grasp of fashion retail math (e.g., Sales Per Square Foot, Average Transaction Value, Inventory Turn, Margin structures).
• Network: Active, existing relationships with major mall developers, high-street landlords, and retail franchise networks.
• Negotiation: Exceptional commercial negotiation skills with a history of closing multi-year franchise and leasing agreements.
• Travel: High willingness to travel for investor meetings, site evaluations, and market scouting.