Retail Sales Associate

wildforkfoods; Vernon Hills (IL); On-site; USD 25,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monthly Bonus

401(k) Match

PTO: Vacation, Sick, Birthday PTO

Culinary Perks

Mentorship Program

FinFit – Financial Resources

Employee Referral Bonus Program

Health Insurance

Job summary

Wild Fork Foods currently seeks a Retail Sales Associate to create an exceptional guest experience by delivering its service philosophy of personal chef and friendly butcher. You will engage customers with expert product knowledge, meal inspiration, and hospitality while supporting replenishment and store readiness.

This role covers full-time and part-time positions; starting wage is $18.50 per hour plus bonus potential.

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 50lbs 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 personal chef and friendly butcher shopping experience.
• Provide recommendations, cooking tips, recipes, and product insights.
• Drive sales by engaging customers, building baskets, and suggesting pairings.
• Stock, rotate, and merchandise products to maintain a full, fresh store.
• Operate the POS, process transactions, returns and exchanges.
• Open/close routines when leadership is not present and follow cash SOPs.
• Support training and ongoing product knowledge for the team.

Skills

Customer service

Multitasking

Cash handling

Cold environment work

Flexibility

Tools

POS systems

Job description

RetailSalesAssociate

RolePurpose

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 productknowledge,mealinspiration,andwarmhospitalitywhilesupportingreplenishment,inventoryaccuracy,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

CoreResponsibilities:

1. CustomerExperience&Selling
   • Deliverawarm,engaging“personalchef&friendlybutcher”shoppingexperience.
   • Providerecommendations,cookingtips,recipes,andproductinsightsbasedoncustomerneeds.
   • Demonstrateunderstandingofdailysalesgoals,promotions,andstorepriorities,andapplythat knowledgethrougheffectivecustomerinteractionandsellingbehaviours.
   • 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