Retail Sales Associate

Wild Fork Foods; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental & Vision

401k match

Paid time off

Monthly bonus

Product giveaways

Mentorship program

Job summary

Wild Fork Foods is seeking a Retail Sales Associate to create an exceptional guest experience through expert product knowledge, meal inspiration, and warm hospitality. You’ll help maintain a clean, well-stocked store, handle cash, and support opening/closing duties, including working in freezer environments.

The role emphasizes staying on-brand with our service philosophy and values while contributing to inventory accuracy, replenishment, and store readiness.

Qualifications

• 1 year of retail, grocery, hospitality, or food experience required.
• Strong customer service skills with enthusiasm for food and culinary exploration.
• Ability to work in fast-paced environments and manage multiple tasks.
• Comfortable working in extremely cold temperatures.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand/walk 8–10 hours.
• Flexible scheduling (mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays).
• Basic math skills for cash handling; POS experience a plus.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a warm, engaging customer experience aligned with the personal chef and friendly butcher concept.
• Provide recommendations, cooking tips, recipes, and product insights based on customer needs.
• Drive sales by engaging customers, building baskets, and suggesting product pairings.
• Stock, rotate, and merchandise products to keep the store full, fresh, and visually appealing.
• Maintain back-stock organization and communicate low stock promptly.
• Open/close routines and cash handling with POS transactions.
• Support planogram changes, promotional sets, and daily recovery routines.
• Assist with receiving and processing deliveries with care and accuracy.
• Work in freezer environments and follow food safety and freezer safety guidelines.
• Follow shrink-prevention practices and report concerns to leadership.

Skills

Customer service

Cash handling

Multitasking

Cold environment work

Tools

POS systems

Job description

As a Retail Sales Associate, you create an exceptional experience for every guest by delivering Wild Fork’s service philosophy of personal chef and friendly butcher. You engage customers with expert product knowledge, meal inspiration, and warm hospitality while supporting replenishment, inventory accuracy, and store readiness.

You play a vital role in maintaining a clean, well-stocked, easy-to-shop store and confidently perform essential operational routines — including working in freezer environments, handling cash, and supporting opening and closing duties — even when leadership is not present.

You bring our values to life every day: Determination, Simplicity, Availability, Humility, Sincerity, Discipline, Ownership.

PositionType:Full-time+Part-time

StartingWage:$18.50 per hour + Bonus Potential

Location: Vernon Hills

CoreResponsibilities:

1. CustomerExperience&Selling
   • Deliverawarm,engaging“personalchef&friendlybutcher”shoppingexperience.
   • Providerecommendations,cookingtips,recipes,andproductinsightsbasedoncustomerneeds.
   • Demonstrateunderstandingofdailysalesgoals,promotions,andstorepriorities,andapplythat knowledge through effective customer interaction and selling behaviors.
   • Drivesalesbyengagingcustomers,buildingbaskets,andsuggestingproductpairings.
   • SupportWildFork’sservicestandardstoensurecustomersfeelwelcomed,valued,andinspiredto return.
   • Leverageproductknowledgetoconfidentlyrecommendsolutions,buildbasketsize,anddelivera personalized, engaging customer experience.

1. Replenishment,Merchandising&StoreReadiness
   • Stock,rotate,andmerchandiseproductstoensureafull,fresh,andvisuallycompellingstore.
   • CompleteFIFOrotationandmaintainaccuratelabelingandpricing.
   • Keepthestoreclean,organized,andcustomer-readyatalltimes.
   • Supportplanogramchanges,promotionalsets,anddailyrecoveryroutines.

1. InventorySupport

• Assistwithreceivingandprocessingdeliverieswithcareandaccuracy.
• Maintainback-stockorganizationandcommunicatelowstockorproductissuespromptly.
• Followshrink-preventionpracticesandreportconcernstoleadership.

1. Freezer&ColdEnvironmentWork
   • Confidentlyworkincoldtemperatures(walk-infreezer)topullproducts,organizestock,andexecute counts.
   • Adheretofoodsafety,sanitation,andfreezersafetyguidelines.

1. CashHandling&Opening/ClosingRoutines
   • OperatethePOSwithaccuracy;processtransactions,returns,andexchanges.
   • Performopeningandclosingdutieswhenleadershipisnotpresent,includingregistercounts,cash pulls, safe drops, store walkthroughs for readiness and safety
   • FollowallcashhandlingSOPswithprecisionandintegrity.

1. TeamCollaboration &Support
   • WorkcloselywithTeamLeaderstoexecutedailyprioritiesandmeetstoregoals.
   • Participateintraining,productknowledgesessions,andnewprocesses.
   • Activelyparticipateinongoingtraininganddevelopmenttostrengthenproductexpertise,selling capability and consistency in execution.
   • Supportapositive,inclusiveteamculturewhereeveryonefeelsvalued.

Qualifications:

• 1yearofretail,grocery,hospitality,orfoodexperiencerequired.
• Strongcustomerserviceskillswithenthusiasmforfoodandculinaryexploration.
• Abilitytoworkinfast-pacedenvironmentsandmanagemultipletasks.
• Comfortableworkinginextremelycoldtemperatures.
• Abilitytoliftupto50lbsandstand/walk8–10hours.
• Flexiblescheduling(mornings,evenings,weekends,holidays).
• Basicmathskillsforcashhandling;POSexperienceaplus.

Values&Behaviors:

WelookforSalesAssociateswho:

• Showdeterminationandurgencyinservingcustomers.
• Engagewithhumility,sincerity,andprideintheWildForkbrand.
• Demonstratedisciplineandownershipineverytask.
• Workrespectfullyaspartofa team.
• Staycuriousaboutproducts,cooking,andcustomerneeds.

Benefits:

• Medical,Dental,&VisionInsurance
• HealthReimbursementAccount,FlexibleSpendingAccounts,BehavioralHealthMattersProgram,Live Health Online (Virtual Care)
• MonthlyBonus Plan
• 401(k)andCompanyMatch
• PTO:Vacation,Sick,BirthdayPTO
• CulinaryPerks:CulinaryTraining,ChewonThis–MonthlyProductGiveaway,WildChef–Monthly Allowance to Shop in Store
• OngoingDevelopment:MentorshipProgram,BetterFuturesProgram(freecommunitycollege)
• OptionalPerks:FinFit–FinancialResources,Discounts(cars,cellphones,services&more),Employee Referral Bonus Program

EOE,includingdisability/vets